HISTORIC VERMONT
An On-line News Journal about the Preservation of Vermont’s
Historic Architecture and Landscape
Number 29 November 2003
Published by the Preservation Trust of
Vermont, 104 Church Street, Burlington, VT 05401
http://www.ptvermont.org
For more information about Historic Vermont,
to subscribe or to unsubscribe to the email version, or to submit
something for publication please contact Meg Campbell, Editor. ptv@sover.net.
Please submit events AT LEAST SIX WEEKS before the event to
ensure listing in the newsletter.
In This Issue....
Vermont
News
- Preservation Grants Awarded
- It's Silent Auction Time Again!
- 2003 PTV Preservation Awards Announced
- Challenge Grant...We Made It!
- Governor Douglas Announces Economic Growth
Center Initiative
- Statewide Forums to Focus on VT's Creative
Economy
Local Preservation News and Events
- Sandgate Schoolhouse Success Story
- Norwich Historical Society Acquires
Hatch-Lewis house
- Upcoming Events in Sudbury
National News
- Section 4(f) Transportation Act in Danger!
Publications
- 10 Reasons Why VT's Homegrown Economy
Matters and 50 Proven Ways to Revive it!
- Buy Local Turkey!
- Special Places in Vermont
- Vermont Directory of Foundations & New
Hampshire Directory of Foundations
Grants & Funding
- Historic Preservation and Barn Grants
- MAP Grant Applications Due December 1
Opportunities for Employment &
Volunteer Work
- State Historic Preservation Officer
- Norwich Historical Society Seeking Help
- Director of External Relations, Fairbanks
Museum
Historic Vermont
Properties for Sale
This newsletter is made possible in
part by a donation from Sovernet, www.sover.net.
VERMONT
Preservation Grants Awarded
Since 1994 the Freeman Foundation and the Preservation Trust of
Vermont have had a partnership to support preservation
projects. Over $6.6 million in grants have been awarded to
help more than 297 projects in communities throughout the state.
These grants have played a key role in over $80 million in total
rehabilitation work. The latest round of grants includes:
Stonebridge Inn, Poultney: $40,000
Constructed in 1808 and located in Poultney's village center,
the Stonebridge Inn is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places. When it caught fire in October 1996,
large sections of the roof were destroyed and many rooms were
gutted, but the timber-framed structure remained sound.
The building was purchased in 1997 by a group of ten local
residents who wanted to keep it from being torn down. They
in turn sold the building to a couple who planned to restore it,
but in 1999 due to health problems, changed their mind and gave
the building to the town. Since then, a committee has been
working with the town to identify community uses and fundraise
to save the building. They are now in the final phase of a
fundraising campaign that will rehabilitate the building for
multiple community uses. The rehabilitated building will house
Vermont Adult Learning classroom and offices, Poultney Food
Shelf, licensed child care, a visitor information center,
Poultney-Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District
offices, and four acres of open land currently used by the high
school as a natural resources outdoor classroom.
Laurel Hall, Cuttingsville: $20,000.
John P. Bowman was born in Clarendon in 1818, the son of a
farmer. With few educational opportunities, he left home
at age fifteen to work in a Rutland tannery and eventually
settled in Stony Creek, New York where he established his own
tannery factory, a tremendous business success that brought him
great wealth. In his domestic life, Mr. Bowman experienced
both joy and sorrow, losing his firstborn daughter when she was
four months, and twenty-five years later, his only other
daughter and wife. Mr. Bowman resolved to build a memorial
and resting place for them in his native Vermont hills. In
1880 he built the Laurel Glen Mausoleum in Cuttingsville, a
large greenhouse to assure plentiful flowers, and his home
Laurel Hall. The Victorian mansion which is operated as a house
museum, mausoleum, greenhouse, and outbuildings are all listed
on the National Register of Historic Places, and are owned and
maintained by the Laurel Glen Cemetery Association. The
grant will help with the costs of replacing the roof.
Pond Road Chapel, Vernon: $5,000.
Built in 1860, the Greek Revival style Pond Road Chapel is
listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The
building is owned and well cared for by the Vernon Historians,
Inc., a group that formed in 1969 to save the abandoned
church. Its interior is intact, including original
furnishings, an Estey cottage organ, cast iron woodstove, and
bracket lamps. It is used for lectures, musical and educational
programs, arts shows and for weddings and occasional church
services. Through local donations, raffles, chapel ornament and
Christmas card sales, and tag sales, the Vernon Historians have
raised $8,500 toward plaster repairs, rewiring, and furniture
repair.
Barre Historical Society’s Labor Hall,
$35,000.
Built in 1900, Barre's Labor Party Hall is a nationally
recognized icon of the American labor movement. Like Shelburne
Farms, the Hall was recently recognized as a National Historic
Landmark, the highest recognition for historic sites in the
United States. Barre was a place where debates among
anarchists, socialists, and union leaders took place over the
future direction of the labor movement in America. A
multi-ethnic gathering place, the hall also provided a variety
of community services, including housing a grocery store and
bakery for Italian immigrant workers. Saving the building from
demolition, the Barre Historical Society in partnership with the
City of Barre purchased the Labor Hall in 1995. Since that
time, over 300 people have contributed money to the restoration
effort and hundreds have taken part in monthly workdays,
fundraising dinners, raffles and other events that help to
advance the restoration and sustain community support and
interest. The grant will help them to replace the slate roof on
the building.
Pierce House and Store, N. Shrewsbury,
$35,000.
Built c.1820, the Pierce House and Store was the center of
village life for the more than 75 years when the store was in
operation. In 1996, Marjorie Pierce, who was 94 at the
time, donated (retaining a life tenancy) the house, store, and
contents to the Preservation Trust of Vermont with the goal of
re-opening the store. The donation also included an endowment,
income from which is being used to cover annual operating costs
of the property. As per Marjorie’s wishes the
Preservation Trust intends to rehabilitate the buildings and
re-open the store. The grant will complete the first phase of
work necessary to reopen the store.
Roxbury Town Office, $25,000.
The Roxbury Town Office is currently housed in a c.1847 train
depot adjacent to the Roxbury Community Center at the south end
of the village. The building must be moved approximately 20 feet
off of a railroad right-of-way and onto a town-owned lot. In the
process, an addition will be made to house a new vault. The
addition will be situated somewhat behind the front façade and
below the ridgeline of the historic building and finishes will
harmonize with older material.
Bradford Public Library, $35,000.
The library, designed by renowned Vermont architect Lambert
Packard (St. Johnsbury Atheneum, Fairbanks Museum, Jeudevine
Memorial Library), is a classic Romanesque Revival composition
in brick with terra cotta accents. The level of finish inside
and out is extraordinary and the building is listed on the
National Register. The library recently upgraded its computer
system, rehabilitated the reading room, and made lighting and
climate control improvements with a grant from the Freeman
Foundation’s library program. The grant will help cover
the costs of roof and masonry repairs, sash conservation,
and installation of high-quality storm windows.
It's Silent Auction Time Again!
The Preservation Trust of Vermont is again holding our Silent
Auction by Mail. We have a host of fantastic items donated
from all parts of the state and beyond -- everything from gift
certificates to downtown stores, to being a character in an Archer
Mayor novel, to a week in a London townhouse! All $25,000
worth of items and how you place bids are posted on our
website: www.ptvermont.org.
Or if you'd rather have a hard copy sent to you, contact Meg
Campbell meg@ptvermont.org
(802) 442-8951. The bids close November 21st and items will
be mailed the following week. It's a great way to do some quick
holiday shopping AND make a contribution to the Preservation
Trust!
Preservation Awards Announced
The Preservation Trust of Vermont is pleased to announce the 2003
recipients of the biennial Preservation Awards. Since 1982,
The Preservation Trust of Vermont has recognized outstanding
contributions in the field of historic preservation. Awards are
presented to the individuals and organizations that have made
special contributions in preserving Vermont's historic
architecture. Examples include the preservation or adaptive use of
an historic property; educational and public information materials
and programs; building trades and professional training;
programming at historic properties; financial support; and special
encouragement and leadership in the preservation field. The
2003 awards were presented on Thursday November 6 at an awards
luncheon at the Equinox Hotel in Manchester. Following are
this year's recipients:
Hiram Allen
Hiram Allen is being honored for his enormous public generosity
that saved a landmark. Ben's Mill, built in 1872 in Barnet, is
one of Vermont's very special treasures. Within it are a
woodworking shop, blacksmith's forge, cider mill, and
wheelwright. The mill is remarkable in that
everything--belts, shaft, equipment, tools--survived and
continued to be in used until about fifteen years ago when
then-owner, Ben Thresher, died. The doors to the mill were
simply shut with the contents left until 1999, when Hiram bought
the mill for $100,000 and went to work to bring it back to
life. In 2002, he donated the property to the recently
formed nonprofit, the Ben's Mill Trust, Ltd. Hiram sits on
the Board and is the #1 volunteer working with the community to
reopen Ben's Mill as an operating, water-powered mill.
Bethel Lympus Church
It was August 1999 and the trustees of Bethel-Lympus Church were
faced with a critical dilemma: either restore the church or
erect a monument to recognize its past existence.
Thankfully they chose the former. Trustees George Carr and
Bill Pollock took the lead...writing articles, sending
fundraising letters, calling community members and the
congregation, and visiting businesses. Impressively, they
had the participation of 60 families and businesses to help pay
for repairs; plus grants from the Division for Historic
Preservation and Preservation Trust of Vermont. On July
20, the restoration was complete and the church
rededicated. Today, this tiny pristine chapel is very much
the same as when it was completed in 1837: no electricity, no
plumbing, no telephone, or running water…and the center of the
Lympus community.
Westminster Selectboard
The Westminster Selectboard is being honored with a 2003
Preservation Award for their leadership and commitment to
rehabilitate the Westminster Town Hall. Built in
1889-1890, the town hall houses municipal offices and an
upstairs auditorium. Since 1999 the Selectboard has worked
with a committee of local citizens to develop a plan, secure
funding, and oversee repairs to the building, including painting
the building in its original Victorian color scheme. Work
on the project continues, but the Selectboard's leadership on
this project ensures that the Town Hall will be a centerpiece
for Westminster for another century.
Pawlet Projects Committee and the People
of Pawlet
Pawlet Projects Committee and the People of Pawlet are being
honored for their work raising funds to rehabilitate the former
Pawlet Schoolhouse for use as the new town library. In
1998, when the schools in the Mettawee district were
consolidated into a single new facility, the 85-year-old
Colonial Revival schoolhouse in the heart of the village closed
its doors. The Selectboard established the Pawlet Projects
Committee, a not-for-profit board of volunteers to undertake
what became a 4-year task of fundraising and rehabilitating the
site into a functioning new library.
Mark Foley
Mark Foley's entrepreneurial spirit combined with a strong sense
of community has led him to invest in and rehabilitate many
older buildings in downtown Rutland including the Service
Building...Vermont's only Art Deco Skyscraper, the Opera House,
the Louras Building, Chittenden Bank, Howard Bank and
others. He is dedicated and a passionate leader-some say a
silent warrior-in the effort to maintain and strengthen the
vitality of downtown Rutland.
Vermont Historical Society
The Vermont Historical Society is being honored for the
rehabilitation of Barre's Spaulding Graded
School for use as the Vermont History Center. A few years
ago Spaulding was empty, deteriorating and in grave danger of
eventual demolition. Today St. Johnsbury architect Lambert
Packard's 1891 Richardsonian Romanesque structure is a lovingly
restored, bustling, vibrant headquarters for the study, display
and interpretation of Vermont's distinctive heritage, as well as
a key factor in the revitalization of Barre's historic downtown
district.
Housing Vermont and the Central Vermont
Community Land Trust
The Green Mountain Seminary was built in 1869 by the Free Will
Baptists of Vermont. In 1885 it was deeded to the town for
use as a graded school-a use that continued until 1960. In
1988, when Central Vermont Community Land Trust began to explore
rehabilitating the building for housing and for continuing use
as a branch library, the seminary was in a state of severe
deterioration. The Land Trust with Housing Vermont worked
for over two years to obtain funding and refine plans to
incorporate accessible public space. The end result is a
vital and beautiful building, an elegant and affordable place to
live for young families and senior citizens, with light
glistening through twelve foot high windows onto hard wood
floors.
Suzanne Boden
Suzanne Boden is being honored for her work to restore
Longfellow House in Hyde Park. In 1893 Vermont Governor
(and later U.S. Senator) Carroll Page built Longfellow House, so
named because it was designed after Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's
house in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After Governor Page's
daughter died in 1929, the house was boarded up, went through a
series of owners but remained unoccupied until 1970 when it was
purchased and occupied by a family for several years and then
sold to a religious order. The house was again abandoned
in 1990 and sat empty until purchased by Suzanne Boden in
2001. Suzanne spared no expense in restoring the building
and opening it as a bread-and-breakfast, appropriately named The
Governor's House.
Vermont Arts Exchange
The Vermont Arts Exchange is a community arts organization
co-founded in 1994 by Matthew Perry and Patricia Pedreira.
VAE's mission is to strengthen neighborhoods and build
communities through the arts. VAE has, since its
beginnings, quite naturally and consistently woven the
rehabilitation of historic buildings into this mission. In
1994 they converted the largely abandoned Sage Street Mill in
North Bennington to an arts center for dance classes, studios,
music, gallery, summer camps and after-school programs. In
1998, VAE sponsored the Vermont Arts, Housing and Preservation
Project rehabilitating five historic buildings, including two
firehouses in Bennington for affordable living and work space
for artists. Combining entrepreneurial skills, a
believer's zeal, and the creativity of the arts, VAE helps
define what historic preservation in 2003 is all about.
Redstone Commercial Group
The Redstone Commercial Group is being honored for the
restoration of the four-story, multi-tenant retail and office
Hall Block in downtown Burlington. The $1.4 million
project included new electrical and mechanical systems, new
elevator, fire alarm, window and masonry repairs and
restoration. The exterior restoration included rebuilding
window arches, reintroducing pressed metal spandrels, locating
salvage brick from Massachusetts that matched the original,
removing inappropriate Portland mortar repairs, repointing the
entire building with a lime mortar, and reintroducing the
original brick red and putty color scheme.
Lydia and John Makau
Lydia and John Makau are being honored for the painstaking
restoration of the remarkable House II, located in Hardwick,
Vermont. Peter Eisenman, an internationally known
architect for his architectural theories, designed and built
House II in the late 1060s as part of a series of ten
residential buildings. Only four were actually
constructed. The house is based on the geometric cube and
has large expanses of glass and minimal interior walls.
But the client who commissioned the house had expected a more
traditional home. Neglected and in a state of decay for
thirty years, House II was put on the market and eventually
bought by the Makau's, who restored it, fully respecting the
integrity of the original design. This house, without doubt, is
the most important building from the 1960's in Vermont and is
recognized internationally for its design concept. Without
the purchase and careful restoration undertaken by Lydia and
John Makau, this highly significant building would have been
lost.
Emily Wadhams
Our final award, actually a bit a surprise for the recipient, is
recognition of how a person of great passion, commitment,
intelligence, and charm can accomplish much. Emily Wadhams
served us as Vermont's State Historic Preservation Officer for
five years...times when it was enormously important to have a
leader who was able to sort out common sense solutions and was
always willing to stand up for all of our historic
resources...even places like the Jones & Lamson plant in
Springfield- a place rejected by many in the community, but a
place that played a most important role in winning World War II
and a place where, today, Springfield's new economy could
thrive.
Challenge Grant...We Made it!
You may not even have known that we were trying, but the
Preservation Trust of Vermont has met an extraordinary challenge
grant pledged by Henry and Barrie Jordan. We have raised
more than $50,000 in new and expanded Founders Circle giving, an
amount that Henry and Barrie have agreed to match. Thanks to all
of you who increased your own support of the Preservation
Trust It's a great accomplishment, and we're grateful to
everyone who contributed!
The Preservation Trust Founder's Circle are
individuals or businesses that have contributed $1,000, $2,500,
$5,000 or $10,000 annually. To date, the Trust has 46 Founder's
Circle members. This program covers about a third of our
annual operating expenses which supports all the basic activites
of the Preservation Trust -- the Field Service Program, technical
assistance and small grants to community projects, our easement
program, support for the annual conference, our newsletter,
governmental relations, and many collaborations with other groups
around the state, in addition to fundrasing and adminsitrative
support.
If you weren't part of this challenge, but would
still like to contribute, contact paul@ptvermont.org
or visit the "How You Can Help" section of our
website: http://www.ptvermont.org/how_i_can_help.htm
Governor Douglas Announces Economic Growth
Center Initiative
A Collaborative Approach to Growing Vermont's Economy
Governor Jim Douglas has created a planning
group to spearhead a broad collaborative effort to explore ways to
encourage commercial, industrial and residential growth in
designated downtowns and other growth centers.
"As I have indicated many times before, the
third way-the Vermont way-is about placing progress ahead of
partisanship and working collaboratively toward the dual
objectives of more and better paying jobs and environmental
protection," Governor Douglas said. "That is why I
believe that it is necessary to explore ways to encourage economic
growth in designated downtowns and other growth centers through a
fully inclusive process."
The goal of the Governor's initiative is to
develop policy that will reduce sprawl while providing a
more efficient, timely and predictable process for economic
development and construction in designated areas.
"To me, policies that cultivate responsible
economic and community growth-policies that balance our need for
more and better paying jobs with our deeply imbued environmental
ethic-may in today's policy jargon be dubbed Smart Growth, but in
many ways are just the natural evolution of the Vermont way,"
Douglas said.
Mark Snelling, chairman of the Governor's
Council of Environmental Advisors and Harlan Sylvester, chairman
of the Governor's Council of Economic Advisors are leading the
planning group to outline the policy development process and
discuss the details of the growth center proposal.
"I believe that by working together we will
be able to maintain our historic settlement patterns of compact
villages and urban centers separated by rural countryside,"
Douglas said. "I intend to advance and support policy
that supports this vision for land use."
A final report is due to be delivered to the
Governor on or before December 15.
Statewide Forums to Focus on Vermont’s
Creative Economy
Do you have an interest in job growth, cultural life, tourism,
downtown revitalization, a creative workforce, strengthening
communities, or public policy?
The Vermont Council on Culture and Innovation (VCCI)
is holding public forums around the state as it looks at the
relationship between Vermont’s community development, cultural
life, and economic activity. The forums come on the heels of
a report from the New England Council which revealed that the
businesses, not-for-profit organizations and individual artists
that make up New England’s “creative cluster” employ nearly
a quarter of a million people and these jobs are growing at twice
the rate of New England’s overall economy.
Vermont’s heritage, arts, and culture have
long been cornerstones of our state economy and foundations for
the “Vermont brand” that is so essential to the state’s
tourism, manufacturing, and agricultural sectors. Public
comments at these meetings will help shape the final
recommendations VCCI presents to the Governor, Vermont’s
Legislature, and our Congressional delegation regarding ways to
advance Vermont’s creative economy.
The final three forums, produced by the Vermont
Council on Rural Development in cooperation with and the offices
of Senators Jeffords and Leahy, take place:
N. Central Vermont, Nov. 13, 7-9pm, Vt Historical
Society, Barre
Southwest Vermont, Nov. 19, 2:20-4:30pm, Equinox Hotel,
Manchester Village
Southeast Vermont, Nov. 20, 6-8pm, Bellows Falls Municipal Bldg,
Bellows Falls
For more information about the forums or VCCI,
visit www.creative-economy.org/cne/vt.html
or contact Michael Levine, VCCI Project Director, at 223-1192 (levine@together.net).
LOCAL
PRESERVATION NEWS and EVENTS
Sandgate Schoolhouse Success Story
by Kathy Wagner, Chairman of Sandgate Schoolhouse Committee
Sandgate is thrilled to report a success story
regarding the restoration of our last remaining schoolhouse, the
District 2 schoolhouse. This little building was first a
house, constructed circa 1830. At some point in the late
19th or early 20th century it was converted to a schoolhouse for
the children of the surrounding area. The restoration
reflects elements of its use as a house and school.
Sandgate is a small village with a population of
353. The town has strongly supported the restoration of the
District 2 schoolhouse by appropriating $20,000 for the project at
town meeting in 2002. In July, 2002 we held a
town tag sale and raised $737 toward the roof restoration.
In July, 2003 Sandgate held a fund-raiser in the churchyard across
from the schoolhouse. It was a sunny, perfect day and there
was a large turnout. The day's events included a silent
auction and an old-fashioned spelling bee! All items at the
auction sold and all minds were challenged in the spelling bee,
which was met with enthusiasm. We also had available for the
first time the book, Sandgate in the News 1861-1940.
This turned out to be very popular and over 100 copies sold.
(To date 269 copies have sold.) The fund-raiser was a great
success and over $4450 was raised.
Jeremiah Parker's crew started work on September
23 and the first order of business was to address the rotten sills
and undercarriage of the floor. Everything needed to be
replaced. The inside of the parge covered stone foundation
was cleaned up and patched with mortar. Reinforced poly-vapor
barrier was laid on the ground and up the foundation sides to
prevent future moisture damage. Stone piers were reinstated
under the new summer beams. Onto the spruce floor joists was
laid a pine sub-floor. Volunteers from Sandgate will re-lay
the old tongue and groove hard wood floor that was removed before
the restoration began.
To provide more stability to the eaves, a beam
truss spanning the width of the building was put in at a height of
8 feet and the ends were put in the original mortice holes.
Two steel rods, one on either side of the beam truss, were
connected to the top plate. There was a a 3-foot section of rotted
beam on the top plate, which was repaired expertly by one of the
crewman. He cut out the rotted portion, and with lap joints
connected a matching piece of old beam.
Another challenging part of the restoration was
to match the crooked bead board and window framework on the one
side of the back wall (to the right of the chimney). A
matching window had to be installed on the left side of the
chimney, and bead board needed to fill in underneath and on both
sides of the window. It is much harder to match the slant of
crooked boards than to install level boards! Again, an
expert job was done. I mustn't forget to add that the bead
board was made on-site using special bits.
Four large schoolhouse windows were reinstated
as well as other windows shown in the historic photos. Loose parge
was removed from the exterior foundation walls, after which a
liquid bonding agent was applied. Fresh mortar was then smoothed
on over all sides. The top edge was rounded so that
water will run down the side of the foundation walls, rather than
sit on the top and seep into the sills.
Mr. Parker's crew finished Phase One of the
restoration project on October 22, and Sandgate is very grateful
for! Phase Two, installing a standing seam roof, was
performed on October 30 and 31. Thanks to Russell Page's
Iron Horse Roofing for their efficient work! The standing
seam was applied over the existing asphalt shingles.
You may follow the restoration project by
viewing pictures and reports on the Sandgate website: www.sandgatevermont.com.
With the schoolhouse now restored, we must now nurture it's third
life - that of a town museum.
When the restoration was underway cars slowed
down as they passed by and waved, with smiling faces happy that
the schoolhouse was being revitalized. Everyone is now
asking when the grand opening is. The temporary plan is to have
the museum ready by the first week in June, 2004. We want to
combine the opening with having all our school children pose at
the schoolhouse for a picture. It should be a great day,
with all the available former students from the one-room
schoolhouse on hand too!
The entire project came off smoothly, with no
problems. Aren't we lucky! Sandgate was also fortunate
to have the Preservation Trust's encouragement and financial
support throughout the project. Without proper guidance,
expertise and funding from PTV this project would not have been
undertaken. Thank you to all concerned!
Sandgate also received funding from the Division
for Historic Preservation, which got us underway. We
appreciate their support of the project from the initial
stages! Thank you!
Do you have a Preservation Success Story
you'd like to share with Vermont? If so, email meg@ptvermont.org
and I'll send you the details of getting your story in the
newsletter!
Norwich Historical Society Acquires
Hatch-Lewis House
In September 2003, the Norwich Historical Society purchased the
wood-framed, 2 1/2-story Hatch-Lewis House on Main Street. in the
National Register Historic District. The house was built by
Joseph Hatch, Jr. in 1807. In 1846 Col Enos Lewis bought the
property from his father-in-law, Hezekiah Hazen. The Lewis
Family lived there for the next 5 generations until they sold it
to the Historical Society several weeks ago. For nearly 50
years of their tenure, two rooms in the house also served as the
Town Clerk and Treasurer's office (1843-1892). The house has
two rear ells and a detached carriage barn. The Historical
Society plans to use the house as a museum and archival storage
facility. The Preservation Trust has helped the project by
providing an assessment grant to help prioritize the preservation
needs of the building.
Upcoming Events in Sudbury
Saturday, November 8, 2003
Variety Show and Silent Auction
Sudbury Meeting House, Rt 30, Sudbury, VT
7:30 p.m. Adults: $3.00, children under 12, free. Sponsored by
the Sudbury Community Club to
benefit Sudbury Meeting House Restoration Fund. For info
call Jim, 273 3834. The event will raise money for the
Restoration Fund.
Saturday, December 6, 2003
Fourth Annual Sudbury Memory Tree Lighting
4 p.m. Refreshments will be served inside. Ecumenical Festival
of Lights and Music in Church sanctuary at 5:30 p.m. Sudbury
Meeting House, Rt 30, Sudbury, VT Call 623 7295 for
Festival info, or 623-7351 for Memory Tree info. Names to add to
the Memory Tree are $1.00 each, send to Jan Smith, Rt 73E,
Sudbury, VT 05733
NATIONAL
NEWS
Paving Over America's Past?
(Excerpted from the National Trust for Historic Preservation
website: http://www.nationaltrust.org/)
The strongest federal preservation law is in
danger. Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act
requires road builders to avoid historic properties unless there
is "no prudent and feasible alternative." Passed to stop
the massive destruction caused by the highway building of the
1950s and '60s, 4(f) has saved thousands of historic places from
bulldozers and blacktop. But now the administration and the
highway lobby want to gut 4(f)'s protections and bring back the
bad old days. Everyone who cares about America's heritage needs to
protect Section 4(f) by contacting their members of Congress
immediately -- a Senate committee votes November 12 on a new
Transportation Act. For more information, visit: http://capwiz.com/nthp2/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=3916396
10 Reasons Why Vermont's Homegrown Economy
Matters, And 50 Proven Ways to Revive It
by Stacy Mitchell, Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Published by the Preservation Trust of Vermont
This new 60-page publication is the result of
several years of collaboration between the Institute of Local
Self-Reliance and The Preservation Trust of Vermont.
Detailed here are specific reasons why locally owned businesses
matter and practical ways to plan for a homegrown economy, foster
revitalization and unite independent businesses. Mitchell uses
practical examples from successful businesses and vibrant
communities all across the states to illustrate the point that
everyone benefits from keeping Vermont's economy local. The
book is available for $10 from the Preservation Trust of Vermont
(802) 658-6647 or as a free download pdf file from the
Preservation Trust website:
http://www.ptvermont.org/publications/HomegrownEconomy/sprawl_book.htm
And on that note... it is time to...
Buy Locally Grown Turkey for Thanksgiving!
Support your local agricultural economy today! It’s
getting time to think about buying a locally grown turkey for
Thanksgiving. Here are a few of the larger local producers
where you can order fresh local turkeys.
Stonewood Farm, Orwell, VT
http://www.stonewoodfarm.com/
Misty Knoll Farm, New Haven, VT
http://www.middlebury.net/mistyknoll/
Bailey’s Turkey Farm, Lyme, NH
(603) 795-2924
There are a great many smaller farms that raise
a few dozen birds for neighbors and friends. Check with your local
farms to see if they have an extra bird for you!
New! Special Places in Vermont Publication
With your help, the Preservation Trust of Vermont is going to
build a collection of Special Places in Vermont. Our
goal is to publish a series of short paragraphs written by
residents describing the off-beat, the undiscovered, and the
historic spots that help to make Vermont a special part of our
world.
Initially we will publish the collection on our
website, and may in the future publish a book. Contributions
can be varied -- from a walk through a village district or former
marble quarry, to a meal at a restored hotel or breakfast at an
historic diner, to the experience of a service in an 1850 church,
or a swim in a pond above an historic crib dam. The possibilities
are endless, and the more we all enjoy and appreciate these
special places, the more we will all work to maintain them.
We welcome contributions of all kinds. If
you have some place you'd like to share, please email meg@ptvermont.org.
Please describe the site and tell us why it's important to
you. Keep in mind that we would like to include your name
and the town where you live in the future publications.
Thanks for being a part of our project!
Vermont Directory of Foundations & New
Hampshire Directory of Foundations
The 2004 Editions of both the Vermont Directory of Foundations and
the NH Directory of Foundations are now complete and
published! Each includes updates on all in-state foundations
and many, many out-of-state foundations that have identified
Vermont or New Hampshire or both as targets for their grantmaking.
Information was obtained directly from the foundations, or from
the most recent available tax information and annual
reports. To order, send a check for $45 (Vermont) or $48
(New Hampshire) or $85 (both) to : CPG Enterprises, Inc.; PO Box
199; Shaftsbury VT 05262. Sorry, no credit card
orders.
GRANTS & FUNDING
Historic Preservation and Barn Grants
This year the legislature appropriated $150,000 each for the
Division's matching grant programs for the restoration of
buildings owned by municipalities and non-profit organizations and
barns (agricultural buildings). Applications will be
available in October. To get an application or discuss your
project call Eric Gilbertson at 828-3043 or emailing eric.gilbertson@state.vt.us.
The grant program for municipalities and
non-profits has been in place since 1987 and has funded projects
on many town halls, historical society buildings, churches,
libraries as well as other buildings. Projects must be for
restoration, have a strong public benefit component, and are
usually for serious problems that are likely to cause further
deterioration.
Applications are due on December 8, 2003.
The grants for agricultural buildings (barns)
can be on privately owned buildings. The purpose of the
program is to preserve the buildings that help make up Vermont's
working landscape. Small agricultural buildings such as corn cribs
and milkhouses are also eligible. Projects must be for
restoration, have a strong public benefit component, and are
usually for serious problems that are likely to cause further
deterioration. Applications are due on January 5, 2004.
Applications for both programs need to have a
good cost estimate for the proposed work and photographs showing
the building in its setting and illustrating the problems which
need work.
MAP Grant Applications Due December 1
Monday, December 1 is the only deadline for grant applications for
the Museum Assessment Program. Applications should be postmarked
by December 1 and submitted to MAP staff at the American
Association of Museums. Grants are awarded to eligible
museums by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) on
a first-come, first-served basis. In commemoration of the
bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1803-1806, IMLS
encourages eligible museums in the trail states (Idaho, Indiana,
Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska,
North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee,
Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia) to apply. Museums
in these states will receive preference for MAP grant funding for
the December 1, 2003 deadline.
For questions concerning eligibility, contact
Jeannette Thomas, IMLS Program Officer, at 202/606-8548. For
questions concerning readiness issues or for an application, visit
the AAM website at www.aam-us.org/map.cfm,
call 202/289-9118, or e-mail map@aam-us.org.
OPPORTUNITIES
for EMPLOYMENT & VOLUNTEER WORK
State Historic Preservation Officer
Agency of Commerce & Community Development
Division for Historic Preservation
Provide statewide leadership in preserving
Vermont’s historic resources. Direct and manage overall policy,
operation and budget of the Division for Historic Preservation in
a comprehensive program to identify, protect, interpret and
promote Vermont’s historic, architectural and archeological
resources. Requires relevant Master’s Degree and
significant experience in the field of historic
preservation. Montpelier – Exempt, Full-Time. Apply
by resume directly to shari.duncan@state.vt.us
or to Shari Duncan, Division for Historic Preservation, Agency of
Commerce & Community Development, National Life Building
Drawer 20, Montpelier VT 05620-0501. Application Deadline:
10/31/03
Norwich Historical Society
The Norwich Historical Society seeks an energetic, genial,
well-organized individual to support the Board of Trustees as it
begins to increase the scope of the organization. A passion
for local history, sound computer skills, and knowledge of basic
bookkeeping are essential for this 20-hour-a-week position.
Please send resume and letter of interest to the Society at POB
1680, Norwich, VT 05055.
HISTORIC
VERMONT PROPERTIES
The Preservation Trust is exploring the idea of
listing historic properties in Vermont for sale. If you have
a pre-existing web listing with a real estate agency and would
like us to include a one-time link to your property site in our
newsletter, please contact meg@ptvermont.org.
The historic barn of Grand View Farm sits on 42
acres of open meadow. A spectacular housesite overlooks the barn
and meadow with expansive mountain views. $985,000. contact
website: www.peggysmithvt.com
For more information about Historic Vermont,
to subscribe or to unsubscribe to the email version, or to submit
something for publication please contact Meg Campbell, Editor. ptv@sover.net
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