“How old is this building, anyways?”

By Danielle Harris-Burnett

The Pavilion Hotel is one of the most frequent things visitors ask about at the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier. We recently installed a panel about the history of the building and the unique approach Vermonters took to save the site’s history. 

The first Vermont State House was completed in Montpelier in 1808, and that same year, the Davis Tavern opened next door. It was renamed the Pavilion House in 1827, and later the Pavilion Hotel. The new owners expanded the building, and Vermont became an early tourist destination for travelers pursuing an idealized rural past.

The Second Pavilion Hotel

In 1876, the hotel reopened with extensive renovations. The building crew used the original bricks in the new foundation, and the reconstructed hotel had 75 rooms for guests, a billiards hall, and updated amenities. The Pavilion earned the name “Vermont’s third house,” as many state representatives stayed there during the legislative session. In 1888, the building's owner added a mansard roof and a fifth floor with 35 additional rooms.

Decades later, the hotel’s fortunes began to change. In 1959, Montpelier became accessible by the interstate highway, and many of the state's representatives commuted between their homes and the state house during the legislative season, instead of staying at the Pavilion for the entire session, while tourists opted to stay at ski resorts and motor inns. By the 1960s, the Pavilion Hotel fell into a state of disrepair.

Preservation Debate

In 1966, the State of Vermont purchased the Pavilion Hotel, and over the next three years, the Vermont Legislature debated whether to demolish the building or convert it to state offices. The House voted 100 to 40 to demolish the Pavilion.

However, they faced backlash from locals and architectural historians. The Historic American Building Survey had documented the building for its incorporation of French and American design elements, and after the construction of a new, modern post office and Federal building nearby, many feared losing downtown Montpelier's historic character.

Concerned Vermonters wrote to their representatives asking to save the building, and in 1969, the Vermont Senate voted 17-13 to preserve the historic façade of the hotel’s front entrance but redo the interior as a museum and office spaces.

Preservationists saved the hotel’s granite keystones and iron columns before demolition. Paintings from the Vermont Historical Society’s permanent collection are on display in a salon style exhibit to replicate the 1890s lobby and parlor room. Pizzagalli Construction used 19th century brick molds to mimic the hotel’s original exterior. 

The reconstructed building opened in 1971, and for many years, was home to the Vermont Historical Society's library and object collection, as well as a number of government offices. VHS moved its collections to the Vermont History Center in Barre in 2000, but re-designed the space to accommodate the Vermont History Museum. 

Ironically, the modern Pavilion building itself is now historic: it celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021. The Pavilion Hotel’s story represents a unique approach to historic preservation, and many visitors assume that we are in the original hotel. How would Montpelier’s downtown change if the state replaced the Pavilion with a completely different building? 

You can visit the Vermont History Museum at 109 State Street in Montpelier Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:00AM to 4:00PM. You can also see a collection of images of the Pavilion Building over on Digital Vermont.