HISTORIC VERMONT
An On-line News Journal about the Preservation of Vermont’s Historic Architecture and Landscape
Number 33  Conference Special  May 2004

Published by the Preservation Trust of Vermont, 104 Church Street, Burlington, VT 05401
http://www.ptvermont.org

 

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10th Annual Historic Preservation Conference
Friday May 21, 2004 · Bellows Falls, Vermont

The Creative Community:  Adventures in Preservation and Imagination

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Dear Friends,

Many of you attended our very first statewide conference at Shelburne Farms in 1995. Now, ten years later, we have many preservation successes to celebrate from the Exner Block in Bellows Falls to the Haskell Opera House in Derby Line. All of our projects have taken much time, money and effort. But none would have gotten off the ground without the collective imaginative efforts of each and every one of you.

This year’s conference "The Creative Community: Adventures in Preservation and Imagination" recognizes and celebrates how these efforts have and will continue to shape Vermont’s villages and town centers. Bellows Falls, a vibrant and eclectic community, is ideally suited to learn first-hand how the creative drive can revitalize an entire downtown. Our keynote speaker Dayton Duncan will offer an inspiring look at the effort that went into bringing the Lewis and Clark Expedition alive for public television. Our afternoon sessions offer an in depth look at community pride, cultural heritage tourism, building community centers and more. The day ends with a closing reception at the Windham Hotel lobby.

We hope you’ll come and share the day and your ideas with us!

Sincerely,

Paul Bruhn, Executive Director, Preservation Trust of Vermont

Jane Lendway, State Historic Preservation Officer

Robert McBride, Conference Coordinator and Rockingham Arts and Museum Project Executive Director

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TO VIEW THEN PRINT ONLY THE REGISTRATION FORM, CLICK HERE

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AGENDA

8:45 Registration, Rockingham Town Hall Lobby

9:30 "As the River Flows," a brief video journey through the history of Rockingham

9:45 Introductory Remarks by Governor Jim Douglas

10:00The Creative Community – 5-minute Success Stories in the Bellows Falls and Rockingham Areas.

Town officials, business owners, and representatives from several community organizations describe what it is about Bellows Falls that makes it a growing and thriving community where businesses and entrepreneurs increasingly choose to locate.

10:45 Key Note Speaker: Dayton Duncan

Dayton Duncan is author of nine books and co-producer of Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery, a 4-hour documentary that attained the second highest rating in the history of PBS. Learn how Mr. Duncan successfully translated the remarkable history of a time and place into a compelling work of art.

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LUNCH 12:00-1:15

Cook out prepared by Lisai’s Cash market to benefit the Rockingham Old Home Days

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EARLY AFTERNOON SESSIONS: 1:30-3:00

EA1) Cultural Heritage Tourism in Bellows Falls and Beyond

Learn how the Bellows Falls Waypoint Interpretive Center as part of the Connecticut River Byway Initiative was developed, from ideas and planning, to funding project costs, working with architects, designing exhibits, and marketing and staffing. Get an overview of the Vermont and Connecticut River Byways program. Find out how important customer service is in the cultural heritage tourism industry.

Presenters: Sharon Francis, Connecticut River Byway Program; Ellen Howard, Town of Rockingham Zoning Administrator; Diane Konrady Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing.

EA2) Video: An Effective Marketing Tool When is video the appropriate marketing tool to tell the story? Learn from the experienced videographers how to budget, define the story and use video for education and development of your ideas and plans.

Presenters: Suzanne Groenewold, creator of As the River Flows, a Journey Through the History of Rockingham. Groenewold, a videographer, editor, producer, and systems coordinator founded Fall Mountain Productions, a digital video production company located in Bellows Falls, Vermont. Caro Thompson, creator of the Connecticut River Byway video. Caro Thompson has been involved in television production since 1981 and was a contract producer from Vermont Public Televisions from 1994-2003. One notable project was her program Barns: Legacy of Wood & Stone.

EA3) "The Town Center Belongs in the Town Center"...and other success stories Back by popular demand, Wayne French joins other community activists to talk about the importance of vital downtowns and village centers as civic, commercial, retail, and social centers. Lisa Carlson explains Canterbury's community wide effort not only save their village store, but to actually buy it! And Mark Benz will describe Lincoln's success bringing an old use back to an old building.

Presenters: Paul Bruhn and Ann Cousins, Preservation Trust of Vermont; Wayne French, Westmore; Lisa Carlson, Canterbury Village General Store, New Hampshire; Mark Benz, Burnham Hall, Lincoln
 
 

EA4) Youth: Our Present and Our Future How do we listen to our youth and effectively work with them to create vital communities? Jeremy Nesoff, an educator at the Compass School, will introduce an exhibition of students’ work entitled "Photography for Social Change." Bess O’Brien, producer and director, will give an overview of "The Voices Project" – a state-wide theatre production based on the original writing and music of Vermont teens. The project will tour the state in the spring of 2005. Janet Ressler of the Vermont Arts Council will speak about her project "Out of School Time Network" which highlights how youth benefit from participating in the arts and grants that are available through the VT Arts Council.

Presenters: Bess O'Brien, Youth Voices; Jeremy Nesoff and students, Compass School; Janet Ressler Vermont Arts Council; Beth Stickney, writer.
 
 

EA5) Cleaning up Dirty History (Brownfields) Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. Finding out that your historic building might be contaminated does not mean the end of a project. Learn about local success stories and opportunities to redevelop your historic Brownfields.

Presenters: EPA New England Brownfields Team; VTDEC; Shane O'Keefe, Municipal Manager, Town of Rockingham; Lyssa Pappazian, Historic Preservation Consultant involved with TLR project; Susan McMahon, Senior Planner, Windham Regional Commission; EPA Historic Preservation Staff.

EA6) Walking Tour of Victorian-era Neighborhood. Bellows Falls industrial and commercial boom in the 19th and early 20th centuries produced not only brick industrial mills and a classic American Main Street downtown, but also a nearby neighborhood of Victorian-era residences owned and occupied by business owners, managers and workers. Early Federal- and Greek Revival-style residences survive among Italianate, French Empire, Classical Revival and Shingle-style homes, many with associated barns and carriage barns. The neighborhood was recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Tour Guide: Chris Cole, CLG Coordinator, Town of Rockingham.
 

EA12) Vermont Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Meeting Join the Vermont Advisory Council on Historic Preservation in a working session to evaluate buildings and archeological sites for listing on the State Register of Historic Places. Also rank grant applications for the Barn Grants program. Learn about the criteria used to judge sites for historic designation. See how the evaluators view grant applications and gain insights to help your own projects become more competitive. Interactive, with time for your questions and comments.

Advisory Council Members: Peter Mallary, Chair of the Council, and members Glenn Andres, Elizabeth Boepple, James Petersen, George Turner, and Tracy Martin

NOTE:  THIS SESSION WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULDE FOR LATE AFTERNOON

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LATE AFTERNOON SESSIONS 3:15-4:45

LA7) Community Pride & Revitalization

Rockingham's Certified Local Government was founded in 1987, one of the state's oldest. For the past seven years it has conducted inter-related programs that have made significant contributions to the community's appearance and its appreciation of its history and historic architecture. Learn about the Rockingham CLG's core activities, "Paint Your Lady," the Annual Old House Awards, and the Speakers Program, and discuss how these activities may be relevant to your own community.

Presenters: Jane Lendway Acting State Historic Preservation Officer and Co-coordinator of the Vermont Downtown Program, and former Certified Local Government Coordinator, at the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation; Chris Cole, CLG Coordinator; Ellen Howard, CLG Commission member.
 
 

LA8) The Howard Block and the Exner Block Tour two downtown affordable housing/retail developments that were key in the bricks and mortar renaissance of Bellows Falls. Converse with funders, project managers, architects and consultants and discuss the challenges that arose in each project from marketing through construction.

Presenters: Gus Seelig, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board; Lynn Mansfield, Housing Vermont; Denny Freshee, architect.
 
 

LA9) Marketing Your Preservation Story What makes a story newsworthy? How do you convince the media? What makes people pay attention to preservation stories? Learn the tricks of the trade from the people who know!

Presenters: Tom Slayton, Vermont Life; Marita Rivero WGBH, Boston; Wes Johnson, Publisher of The Message of the Week.

LA10) Historic Building Surveys in the 21st Century

Over the past year, the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation has developed new computer technology to make inventorying historic buildings easier. The new system uses handheld computers, digital cameras, and Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping technology. The Rockingham Historical Preservation Commission sponsored a pilot test of the new system in Bellows Falls using volunteers to gather building information under the direction of an architectural historian. Hear the results, try the technology, and see if it's something you might like to use to create or update historic surveys in your town.