The Council of Independent Colleges: Historic Campus Architecture Project

Everett Estate

Click on image titles for larger views.

Everett Estate, Southern Vermont College

Institution Name: Southern Vermont College
Original/Historic Place Name: "The Orchards"
Location on Campus: located at the top of Mansion Dr.
Date(s) of Construction:

1911-1914

original construction Totten, George Oakley, Jr.

Designer: George O. Totten, Jr.
Type of Place: Individual building
Style: Beaux-Arts classicism, Other (Glossary)
Significance: architecture, culture, engineering, history, landscape
Narrative: see below
References: see below

Materials:

Foundation: limestone and concrete

Walls: gray limestone walls with Portland cement mortar

Roof: imported Italian red clay tiles

Function:

ca. 1914-1952	private residence (summer house)
1952-1974	other (Holy Cross Novitiate)
ca. 2004-present (2006)	administration
ca. 2004-present (2006)	faculty offices
ca. 2004-present (2006)	classrooms
ca. 2004-present (2006)	theater (Everett theater)
ca. 2004-present (2006)	library

Narrative:
Southern Vermont College is fortunate to have the Everett Estate as its campus. Built between 1911-1914 at a cost in excess of $2 million, the Mansion was the summer home of business entrepreneur Edward Hamlin Everett and the grandest home in all of Bennington. Architect George O. Totten, an internationally recognized craftsman from Washington, D.C., designed the 27-room building in the style of the English-Norman feudal castles of the 14th century. A consciously created setting for a lifestyle of leisure and entertainment, the summer home was designed to be the ideal retreat for the very wealthy.

The Estate served as Mr. Everett's summer residence until he died in 1929. In 1952, Everett's wife, Grace, sold the Estate to the Order of the Holy Cross for use as a novitiate. In 1974, Holy Cross sold the property to the Sisters of St. Joseph, and later that year St. Joseph College became Southern Vermont College with no religious affiliation.

The restoration of the Mansion is the most significant element in preserving and maintaining the Everett Estate. The Mansion entices students, alumni, visitors, and local residents to rekindle interest in tradition and the unique structures in Vermont and the surrounding areas. Beyond a heightened cultural awareness, students will recognize the importance of respecting and honoring historic landmarks.

The property will remain a College campus dedicated to serving students who have yet to fulfill their potential, ensuring accessibility to those with extra needs, financial and academic, who are serious about bettering their lives through higher education. The College is acutely aware of the building's historical significance and considers itself fortunate to have the Everett Mansion as our home.

References:

Chessman, G. Wallace, and Curtis W. Abbott. Edward Hamlin Everett: The Bottle King. Granville, OH: Robbins Hunter Museum, 1991.

Keefe, Tom. Building Diagnostic Report [Southern Vermont College]. North Bennington, VT: Keefe & Wesner Architects, [n.d.].

Resch, Tyler. Deed of Gift, the Putnam Hospital Story. Burlington, VT: Paradigm Press, 1991.

Warren, Suzanne. The Orchards [Southern Vermont College]. National Register of Historic Places designation report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior/National Park Service, 2000.