“I think the architecture of Bonnet Street is representative
of a reasonably prosperous town of a certain time,” says
Badger. “You see similar streetscapes near the heart of
many well-to-do small towns. Places like this make me ask,
‘What went on here?’ With tourism, Manchester stayed
prosperous because of the summer people, and in the mid-
20th century, the ski industry, so the buildings have been
kept up for the most part.” What prevented Bonnet Street
from becoming just another “strip” on the road out of
town was early zoning ordinances that allowed, and even
encouraged re-use. Buildings can always find more uses,
Badger says, and nothing is frozen in time. •
With special thanks to Shawn Harrington, curator, Manchester
Historical Society. The mission of MHS is to collect, preserve,
interpret, and present the story of Manchester, Vermont. The
archive is located in the Manchester Community Library,
138 Cemetery Avenue, Manchester Center. 802-549-4582 or
manchesterhistoricalsocietyvt.org
Front entrance of 187 Bonnet Street
manchester life magazine 2019 113