Burlington Historical Society's Heritage Trail provides a trek through time

BURLINGTON - The Burlington Historical Society will host a dedication Saturday for the Burlington Heritage Trail, a self-guided, Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible tour of historic sites in the city.

Following the Berry Dairy Days parade, which begins at 10 a.m., the dedication will be held at the Burlington Visitors Information Center at 520 E. Fairhaven Ave.

As part of the dedication, videos of community leaders sharing their perspectives of the Heritage Trail will also be shown, and three markers will be unveiled.

"This is the start, sort of the first round of what we are calling phase one," Burlington Historical Society charter member Margie Wilson said.

First-phase sites include the old city hall (1925); Knutzen Store; The Alpha Club (1900s); the former bank building (1909); the former Burlington Carnegie Library (1916); early schools (1892); former hospital (1910); and markers unique to Burlington's past, including for The Hub City and Berry Dairy Days.

Displaying the markers has proven to be a challenge.

As Wilson works to make sure they conform to city code, she has gotten permission to display them on stands she and her husband built.

"So we created a way to display the markers," Wilson said. "We needed something able to supply support for 50 pounds and iron pipes were the answer. They take some work to put together.

"And we were able to get the OK to have them displayed for one day. So we'll put them together and put them out front for people to see."

Starting at the Visitors Information Center on Saturday, visitors will be able to explore the history of Burlington by scanning the QR codes linking to the William G. Pomeroy Foundation online marker map.

Another option is to download the free smartphone app Clio, which offers voice narration for each site, historical photographs, links for further research and an opportunity to share comments.

"It's free and it's great," Wilson said of the app. "It automatically knows exactly where you are."

The Burlington Historical Society touts the Heritage Trail as a way to learn more about the community, explore what local businesses offer, and to see Burlington through the lens of its heritage.

The work on the Heritage Trail began in 2025 when the city received funding from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation to erect a marker recognizing the Burlington Carnegie Library's as part of the National Register of Historic Places.

"The dedication event for the historic Burlington Carnegie Library was so well received by the community that we began an exciting collaboration with the William G. Pomeroy Foundation to secure grants to fully fund more historical markers to recognize Burlington's rich history," Wilson said. "From that generous offer, the idea to create a self-guided tour featuring a series of William G. Pomeroy Foundation markers, highlighting Burlington's historic properties, was born."

The foundation even provided an intern to help with creating the trail.

"We're delighted to work with Margie Wilson and her colleagues to help bring Burlington's history to life through Pomeroy historical markers," Pomeroy Foundation Research Historian and Engagement Associate Anastasia Sopchak said. "Through the Burlington Heritage Discovery Trail, we're proud to have an impact in Washington State by providing grants to fully fund markers developed through primary-source research that highlight the community's rich history for both residents and visitors."

Tour instructions are available at the the Burlington Parks and Recreation offices, the Burlington Senior Center, the Burlington Public Library and other local outlets.

Local support for Heritage Trail project came from Skagit County and Burlington lodging tax funds.

The first 100 people who complete the tour and complete a survey at the Visitors Information Center will receive a Burlington Heritage Trail tote bag.

In addition to the unveiling of the markers on Saturday, the 100-year anniversary of the old City Hall building - meticulously restored by the Gentry family in the 1980s - will be celebrated.

"The work they did in there to just keep that time period - the 1920s - is amazing," Wilson said of the restoration. "Only somebody with a real eye for design could do such a spectacular job. There's this sense of freshness to the painting and the trim work. It was like they kept the old but it was restored correctly and to the period. They did a magnificent job on the restoration."

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