Burlington — Decode the Green Mountain Boys' Secret Rebellion

Your journey begins at Battery Park, a strategic defensive site during the American Revolutionary War, whose War of 1812 cannons overlook Lake Champlain. It was here that Ethan Allen's Green Mountain Boys might have planned their movements. The park, adjacent to the Burlington Boathouse and part of the Lake Champlain waterfront trail, was an ideal vantage point to monitor activities near Fort Ticonderoga. You will search for the first clues here, hidden near the remnants of this historic Vermont battery.

As you head towards Burlington City Hall, you traverse an urban landscape that has witnessed the city's evolution. Burlington City Hall, built in 1928 in a Renaissance Revival style, with its 185-foot clock tower, overlooks City Hall Park, a public green space since the 19th century. This building, which has housed city government since its opening and survived a fire in 1975, represents the continuity of local administration, a contrast to the tumultuous beginnings of Vermont's founding by Ira Allen and his contemporaries. Here you will decipher coded messages related to the city's early assemblies.

Church Street Marketplace, a pedestrian-only shopping district established in 1981, immerses you in the vibrancy of modern Burlington, while retaining its historic soul. Its 19th-century buildings, with their Greek Revival architecture, attest to the street's development since 1865. It is a central location for annual festivals and Burlington's social life. Although more recent, this lively crossroads is a point of convergence, much like the Green Mountain Boys converged for their gatherings. You will search for hidden symbols in the architectural details, revealing messages concealed by supporters of the rebellion.

Your quest will then lead you to the Ira Allen Chapel on the University of Vermont campus. Built between 1890 and 1891 in a Gothic Revival style, this chapel is named in honor of Ira Allen (1751-1815), Ethan Allen's brother and co-founder of UVM. Its stained glass windows and 48-bell carillon, installed in 1925, resonate with the legacy of these key figures in Vermont history. Main Street Landing, a maritime complex developed between 1983 and 1990 on a former industrial site, with its 200-slip marina and performing arts center on Lake Champlain, is near Battery Park, part of the 1.5 km waterfront path. These sites illustrate Burlington's evolution, from the colonial aspirations of the Allen brothers to its contemporary development.

Finally, your journey culminates at the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum, Ethan Allen's home (1738-1789) built around 1787 and preserved as a museum since 1939. Located 2 miles from Battery Park, this site, with its Federal-style architecture and period furnishings, documents the history of the Green Mountain Boys and offers insight into the life of this revolutionary leader. By visiting this site listed on the National Register of Historic Places, you will have deciphered the strategy of the Green Mountain Boys and understood the importance of Burlington and the Lake Champlain Waterfront in the American Revolution. This walking thematic circuit will have offered you a unique perspective on Vermont's heritage and Burlington's history with your family.