A heritage of commitment.
From a simple plot of land to the transformation of a community, the story of O’Brien Brothers is a legacy of hard work, vision, and old-fashioned Vermont values.
Local Beginnings
The O’Brien family traces its roots in South Burlington as far back as 1890, when Daniel O’Brien moved to the fledgling town with an inclination toward community improvement. He became dedicated to public service and served in many municipal roles over his lifetime as well as in the Vermont state legislature. Daniel’s eldest son, Leo Sr., became a local cattle dealer and farmer. In 1944 he purchased a property on Old Farm Road in South Burlington to expand his growing livestock and agricultural business. Like his father, Leo was civic minded, volunteering his time to community projects and local politics.
Leo then had two sons, Leo Jr. and Daniel, who grew up on the family farm, tending to cows and cleaning stalls. Leo Jr. enlisted in the US Navy during the Korean War and afterwards went on to college while Dan entered the farming business with his father. Both brothers eventually made their homes on the Old Farm Road property, caring for the farm, tending the land, and raising their ever-growing families.
Like their father and grandfather, the brothers were drawn to public service.
Leo participated on a number of boards and commissions, ran for Governor as the Democratic nominee in 1970, and served in several roles in state government, including Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of Vermont, as well as a special advisor to Governor Thomas Salmon and to Senator Patrick Leahy.
Dan served many roles within the Democratic party, rose up the ranks of political committee work including serving on the Democratic National Committee, and in 1977, was invited to participate in a White House briefing about the Panama Canal treaties.
A Changing Vermont
In 1958, Leo and Dan started the O’Brien Brother’s Agency as a farming and livestock business, purchasing and running farms throughout Chittenden County.
Soon, the economy of Vermont began to change rapidly. By the late ‘60s, cows were giving way to commercial development, and an influx of new residents were framing the needs of our state. It was time for the brothers to make a decision. With civic duty as their heritage, they turned their attention to the acute housing demands of their community and transitioned the business toward real estate brokerage and development.
Their first development broke ground in 1968, a neighborhood of 36 townhouses and the Timberlane Medical Complex in South Burlington. Ten years later, the company made a commitment to providing affordable housing in Vermont, building the first senior and family housing projects subsidized through the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Program, and for a time were the largest private developer of affordable housing in the state. By 1986, the last of the cows on Old Farm Road were sold as part of the USDA Whole Herd Buyout Program, and the business was fully invested in the responsible development and management of a wide portfolio of properties.
The Journey Continues
Under the leadership of CEO Evan Langfeldt and rebranded as O’Brien Brothers, the company has set a visionary goal once again. With a plan to continue the responsible development of 130+ acres of its family-held land in South Burlington, the team at O’Brien Brothers invites others to live, raise their families, and create their own memories on the land that has meant so much to the O’Brien family for generations.
