Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-03-06
new HOME FOR STATE
BOARD OF HEALTH
will Soon Move, Together with
Laboratory of Hygiene, from
1874 Church Street to 2 Col
chester Avenue, Adjoining
College of Medicine

The State Board Of Health is to leave
rs present home at 1874 Church street
soon and move into the house at Col
chester avenue just east Of the College
Of Medicine and now owned by the Uni
versity Of Vermont. This house was
bought about the time the s. A. T. c.
came into existence and during the
quarantine was used as barracks. A,
different times during their stay here
1t also was used place of recreation.
q sort of club house.
Alterations on the house will begin
this morning and as soon as they arc
completed the board will move in. The
outside Of the house. except for few
necessary alterations. will be unchanged
as tits considered desirable to ,preserv'
the architecture which has stood since
the house was built in 1889. The inside
however, will be completely renovated
When finished. the fret floor will contain
the business office. the private office
tho secretary, three small offices for use
Of the different departments and a large
library and meeting room. Upstairs vii
be the business office, the office of The
director. laboratories for water analysis
meteorological and pathological work,
medico-legal work, the food and drug
Laboratory and the sociological labora-
tory. In the rear Of the house. which
is now a shed. will be a shipping room
land a veterinary laboratory and behind
this will be a morgue for autopsy work.
In order to At the house for use as a
Laboratory, It Will be necessary to put
In new walls, new floors, a complete new
heating system. a new system Of electric
lighting, which will be indirect through
out the house, sufficient plumbing for
laboratory purposes and general repairs.
THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH
The Vermont state Board of Health is
rather an old institution. II was organ
ised in 1886, after IA years Of persistent
work with the Legislature. DR.. Henry
D. Holton OF Brattleboro was the orig
inai promoter of the cause, and stories
are still told at Montpelier Of how DR..
FHolton would appear at each session Of
the General Assembly to argue the need
Of State Board of Health, only to be
disappointed at the end Of the session.
As each bill was killed. he would re-
mark. "An right. Gentlemen. that makes
lsme q member OF the third House fors the
hext4session." and he would appear as
usual. In this work, he was assisted
10y DR.. l.. c. Butler and DR.. Sumner
sPutnam.
Finally, in 1886, when the act estab-
Fishing State Board of Health became
a law, the Governor appointed Dr. c. L.
Allen ofsfautland, Dr. A. 8. Chesmore of
Huntington and DR.. ]. II. Hamilton of
lRichford rs members, DE-. Allen being
secretary to the board in 1880 and DR..
fHolton in 1891. In the meantime, Dr.
~. n. Hamilton had taken on the duties
}of secretary, which office he continued
Ito hold until December. 1900. when Dr.
IHoitnn was elected as secretary and ex.
lecuffve officer of the board. During all
this time. the State. Board had no estab-
tlished headquarters. DIR. Hamilton con.
Quoted the duties Of secretary in his
own office and when DR.. Holton became
secretary. he established the oflces o,
the board.in a small ell part In his house
in Brattieboro. 1t was not until DR.
Charles F. Dalton became secretary ant
}executive officer of the board in 1912 thai
the entire organization was brought to.
,xether Mt Burlington and established il
adequate quarters.
LABORATORY OF HYGIENE
The laboratory of hygiene was es
,tabiished as a department of the Stat,
Board of Health by an act of the Leg
tslature in 1898. DR.. J. H. Linsley hat
previously conducted small labora
tory for chemical and bacteriologica
examinations but found that he coult
not do the work which the board de
sired. campaign was. therefore
carried on to arouse the interest O
Vermont citizens in the necessity TO
Il laboratory in connection with tn
State Board of Health. DR.. Linsley
who had the hearty support of tn
Free Press from the very outset. mad
a thorough canvass of practically IN
Sph dr,ri h;ch ho
the first automobile ever brought int
theeState. Part of the time he was &C
companied by DR.. Caverly and thei
experiences with the new automobil
were both amusing and exasperatinl
! The object of the trip. however, wa
accomplished and the Legislature passe
the act. DR.. Linsley was appointed di
rector and quarters were secured in tn
Hayward block on Main street.
The laboratory was successful froi
the st1rt ia. from time to time. add
tions have ices made to it's work g
that now It is one ~ the ''nportar
institutions Of the State. DR.. NJ.
Wiltse became director on the deaf
OF DR.. Linsley in 1901 and in 1910
he was succeeded by DR.. B. H. Ston
the present director. With the es
ceptton Of small State laboratory 1
Rhode Island, Vermont was the fir,
state In the Union to establish a
organization of this kind.
ORGANIZATION UNITED
Tho divided work of the State Board {
Health by reason of the secretary's offic
being In Brattleboro and the laborator
IN Darlington became more and more
q problem as the work of the board II
oreaaed. A change In the location of IL
lsb0atory became necessary in 1908 ar
the temporary postofice building whic
had been acquired by the Strong Hare
| ware company was secured and refitte
for purpose Of laboratory work. DR.. Da
ton became secretary Of the board In 10
and Immediately fitted up Offices in II
same building, thus bringing the enti
organisation together Since that tim
the work Of the State Board Of Health h,
grown rapidly and acts have been passt
by the present Legislature. which w
4 greatly increase the scope Of the wor
At present the board 10 composed of Z
y. Thomas Kidder of Woodstock, Dr. Y
4. slayton Of Morrlsville and Dr. C.
Dalton Of Burlington.
THE BOARDS NEW HOME
The new home of the State Board
Health 10 said to be the Oldest frame hou
in Burlington. 1t was built In 1889
Fred 6axton, when there were very 4,
houses at the head of Pearl street. r
property has passed through many han
In the oourse of itH sxiatenoo hut tina RI