Wait Block

United States historic place

Wait Block

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

The Wait Block is the brick building at the center of this photo

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Location| Near jct. of Main and Bonnet Sts., Manchester Center Village, Manchester, Vermont
Coordinates| 43°10′36″N 73°3′24″W﻿ / ﻿43.17667°N 73.05667°W﻿ / 43.17667; -73.05667
Area| 0.1 acres (0.040 ha)
Built| 1884 (1884)
Architectural style| Italianate
NRHP reference No.| 96001327[1]
Added to NRHP| November 7, 1996

The Wait Block is a historic commercial building on Main Street (Vermont Route 7A) in Manchester Center, Vermont. Built in 1884–85, it is a distinctive late example of vernacular Italianate design, executed in brick and marble. It notably survived the 1893 fire that devastated the village's business district. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.[1]

## Description and history

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The Wait Block stands in the heart of Manchester Center's commercial business district, just east of the junction of Main Street (Vermont 7A) and Bonnet Street (Vermont Route 30) on the south side of Main Street. It is a three-story brick structure, three bays wide, with a flat roof and marble trim elements. The facade is divided into three arched panels, articulated by brick pilasters, the center panel narrower than the outer ones. Windows on the upper levels are set in segmented-arch openings, with keystones and ears of marble. The main entrance is set in a paneled recess in the center bay, with large glass display windows in the flanking bays on the ground floor, also set in segmented-arch openings. A line of corbelled brickwork provides a minimal cornice for the flat roof.[2]

The building was constructed in 1884-85 for Clark Wait, owner of the local drug store. Its ground floor would house a drug store for the next century, with living quarters for the proprietor above. It notably survived the 1893 fire that destroyed many wood-frame buildings in the business district. It was built during a time of relative prosperity in the village's industries, which were in decline by the time of the fire and never really recovered. As a result, no other buildings of this scale were built in the village.[2]

## See also

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* National Register of Historic Places listings in Bennington County, Vermont

## References

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1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. ^ a b "NRHP nomination for Wait Block". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-03-02.

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National Register of Historic Places in Bennington County, Vermont

Districts|

* Arlington Village Historic District
* Bennington College Historic District
* Bennington Fish Hatchery
* Carrigan Lane Historic District
* Center Shaftsbury Historic District
* Dorset Village Historic District
* Downtown Bennington Historic District
* East Arlington Village Historic District
* Equinox House Historic District
* Furnace Grove Historic District
* Holden–Leonard Workers Housing Historic District
* Kent Neighborhood Historic District
* Manchester Village Historic District
* North Bennington Historic District
* Old Bennington Historic District
* The Orchards
* Rupert Village Historic District

Buildings|

* Bennington High School
* Bennington Post Office
* Bennington Railroad Station
* W. H. Bradford Hook and Ladder Fire House
* William C. Bull House
* E. J. Bullock Block
* First Congregational Church of Bennington
* Robert Frost Farm
* Gov. Jonas Galusha Homestead
* Zera Hard House
* William Henry House
* Hildene
* Holden–Leonard Mill Complex
* Jenks Tavern
* Amos Lawrence House
* Manley-Lefevre House
* David Mathews House ‡
* Munro-Hawkins House
* North Bennington Depot
* Julius and Sophia Norton House
* Park-McCullough House
* Pratt-McDaniels-LaFlamme House
* Ritchie Block
* School Street Duplexes
* Frederick Squire House
* Tudor House
* Wait Block
* H.C. White Company Mill Complex
* Cora B. Whitney School
* Wilson House
* Yester House

Structures|

* Arlington Green Covered Bridge
* Bennington Battle Monument
* Bennington Falls Covered Bridge
* Henry Covered Bridge
* Silk Covered Bridge

Former listings|

* Johnny Seesaw's Historic District

Footnotes|

‡ This historic property also has portions in an adjacent state.

See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Bennington County, Vermont and List of National Historic Landmarks in Vermont
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