HISTORIC VERMONT
An On-line News Journal about the Preservation of Vermont’s
Historic Architecture and Landscape
Number 25, Early July 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
VERMONT
Oakledge Park, Burlington
Do you know the history of Oakledge Park in
Burlington? Did you know that the Webb family built
an estate there before moving on to Shelburne Farms and that
their manor house stood at the site of today's picnic pavilion
until the '70s when the house was burned? Did you
know that the park sits on rock nearly half a billion years
old? Most park visitors have no idea of the history under
their feet and for good reason, the park has no interpretive
signage.
Over the last week of June, 17 students and
staff in the Science and Technology strand of the Governor's
Institute of Vermont (giv.org), a program for highly motivated
Vermont High School students worked day and night to ferret out
the park's history. As their community service project, in
concert with the University of Vermont Geology Department, they
collected dozens of historic maps and photos and designed draft
signage for the park.
On Sunday August 10, from 10 to 3, and
in cooperation with Burlington Parks and Recreation, the
students and staff will sponsor Oakledge History
Day. We'll be there with drafts of all the signs for
public comment and we'll be looking for more information from
you, members of the public. If you'd like to learn more
about the park or if you can help us with any information,
personal memories, pictures, or historical items from the park's
history, please join us for the day. Students will be
available to take oral histories, scan historic documents and
photos, photograph momentos, and give guided tours. To
learn more about Oakledge History Day or the students' work,
contact Paul Bierman, UVM Geology Department (Paul.Bierman@uvm.edu)
and check out the students' web page at geology.uvm.edu/oakledge.
Vermont Housing and Conservation Board
Awards will Conserve Historic Properties in Several Towns
At a meeting on June 16th, the Vermont Housing and Conservation
Board awarded loans and grants to develop affordable housing and
to provide community meeting space in historic buildings. Other
commitments will conserve farmland, add acreage to Alburg Dunes,
a new state park, and conserve part of the oldest fossil reef in
the world on Isle La Motte.
The Rutland County Community Land Trust (RCCLT)
will use $25,000 from the Preservation Trust of Vermont, a
Vermont Housing and Conservation Board grant of $325,000 and
$390,00 in federal HOME Program funds awarded by VHCB to acquire
the Tuttle Building at 9-13 Center Street, creating thirteen
affordable apartments and renovating three commercial spaces.
Built in 1906 just off Merchants Row in the heart of downtown
Rutland, the Tuttle Building housed the offices and production
spaces of the Tuttle Printing and Engraving Company. RCCLT will
renovate the two commercial spaces on the ground floor and add
one apartment on that level, renovate and occupy office space
and create two apartments on the second floor, and develop 10
apartments on the third and fourth floors. The electrical,
heating, and plumbing systems will be upgraded or replaced and
the roof will be replaced. An elevator will be built to serve
the upper floors. A mixture of one and two-bedroom apartments
will be affordable to households earning less than 60% of median
income.
The Brattleboro Area County Community Land
Trust will use a $286,000 VHCB loan to acquire and rehabilitate
20 apartments located in four prominent, historic buildings at
50, 58 and 64 Canal Street and at 42 South Main Street. Three of
the buildings are owned by limited equity cooperatives; they
will be transferred to BACLT for rehabilitation and management
as rental housing. The buildings were the first properties
acquired and rehabilitated by the Brattleboro Area Community
Land Trust fifteen years ago when a citizens group formed to
protect the properties from demolition and construction of a
mini-mall on the site.
In Vergennes, two prominent historic buildings
with 19 apartments and one commercial space located at 206 and
224 Main Street will be redeveloped by the Addison County
Community Action Group and Housing Vermont. The layout of some
apartments will be reconfigured, new wiring, water supply and a
sprinkler system will be installed, and exterior trim, siding
and porches will be repaired. Rural Development funding will
provide rental assistance for the apartments, making them
affordable to low-income households.
The Brookfield Community Partnership will
purchase and renovate the Brookfield Old Town Hall using $72,500
in VHCB funds. Built in 1850 as a boarding house for the nearby
mill, the town hall is the centerpiece of Brookfield Village
Historic District. An addition in 1900 served as the town hall
and a gathering place for many functions in the town. The Town
Clerk’s office will move into the rehabilitated building and
town meetings and a variety of community events will be held
there. The upstairs may serve as art or dance studios and
private office space.
The former Ferrisburg Grange Hall, which is
owned by the town, will be renovated and restored for use as new
town offices and a community center with the help of $47,500 in
VHCB funds. Located on the west side of Route 7 in the
village, the building will be stabilized and historic features
will be restored, including the slate roof and two brick
chimneys. Constructed in 1868 as the Ferrisburgh Congregational
Church, the building was conveyed to the local Grange in 1949.
The Italianate style church features elaborate exterior trim and
a two-tiered bell tower. The lower level will serve as town
offices, while the upper level, with its open hall, raised stage
and balcony will be used for community meetings and as a
theatrical and musical performance venue for the school and
community.
Since 1987, Vermont Housing & Conservation
Board grants and loans have helped nonprofit housing and
conservation organizations, municipalities and state agencies to
develop more than 7,000 units of affordable housing and to
conserve 350,000 acres of agricultural land, natural areas and
recreational lands.
National Register News
The National Park Service has recently listed the following
properties on the National Register of Historic Places:
Vergennes Residential Historic District,
Vergennes
This residential neighborhood is located adjacent to the already
listed Vergennes Historic District- which encompasses the city's
commercial and municipal core. The residential district extends
south from Main Street with Otter Creek as its western boundary
and Green Street as its eastern boundary.
The district is approximately ½ mile square
and includes buildings dating from 1800 to the 1950s. There are
97 contributing buildings and 12 noncontributing ones. The wide
variety of architectural styles and their range of quality and
detailing reflect the prosperity and population growth that
Vergennes experienced during the 19th century. The
district exemplifies America's developing democratic principals
by having all types of social and economic levels living
side-by-side in a city built upon industry at the falls on Otter
Creek. The area represents the melting pot of different cultures
and classes that supplied the sweat and equity of the city of
Vergennes.
Burlington Breakwater, Burlington
This seven legged, zig-zag shaped, 4,163 foot stone structure
was built in three stages, the first in 1836-1854, the second in
1867-1874, and the third from 1874-1886, and the fourth from
1889-1890. It is an excellent example of 19th century
timber-cribbed breakwater construction. The chronology of
construction correlates with the lake-related commercial growth
of docks and wharves along Burlington's waterfront. The
breakwater was built as the result of a resolution passed by the
US House of Representatives in 1833 directing the Secretary of
War to prepare estimates for construction of a breakwater to
provide shelter to docks and wharves and protection to lake
commerce and US military interests.
Village Center Tax Credits Available
Tax credits are now available for commercial buildings in
designated village centers.
Property owners or lessees who make capital
improvements to commercial buildings in designated village
centers are eligible for two special income tax credits. (A tax
credit directly lowers your tax bill). A 50% credit up to $5,000
is available for making improvements that involve fire safety,
accessibility, food handling and weights and measures in order
to meet the requirements of the Department of Labor and
Industry, Department of Health, or the Agency of Agriculture,
Food and Markets. This credit can be used in the form of a
"mortgage credit certificate" which the applicant's
bank uses in exchange for adjusting the owner/lessee's mortgage.
The other tax credit is a 5% state income tax credit added to a
20% federal income tax credit for a full rehabilitation of a
commercial property listed in the National Register of Historic
Places, including all restoration, code compliance and design
costs. There is no cap on this credit. To be eligible for these
tax credits, the building must first be located in a designated
village center. It is a simple process, with application made by
the town.
Since the program was initiated about 6 months
ago, these communities have been designated: Saxtons River,
Peru, West Rutland, Weston, Putney, Plainfield, Hardwick,
Belmont, Bethel, and Barton. Any town with a traditional
commercial core is eligible to apply, and designation is not
competitive. Village center designation and tax credit
application information are available at www.historicvermont.org
PRESERVATION
TRUST OF VERMONT SPECIAL SUMMER EVENTS
The Great
Preservation Trust Travel Raffle
For $100, your name can be
put in the drawing to receive your choice of one of the
following all-expense-paid prizes:
- National Trust
for Historic Preservation Study Tour (for two): Select one
from more than 80 tours being offered in Europe, South
Africa, the Greek Isle and more. http://www.nationaltrust.org/study_tours/list.asp
- National Trust
for Historic Preservation Study Tour (for two): Cuba,
It's Outlying Cities, November 9-16, 2003 http://www.nationaltrust.org/study_tours/catalog03/cuba.html
- A trip for two
on the Orient-Express: Venice Simplon Orient Express
(London to Venice)
- Book your own
trip valued at $10,000 through Milne Travel/American Express
- $10,000 cash
Only 300 tickets will be
sold. The drawing will take place on August 20, 2003
at the Grand Isle Lake House. All proceeds will benefit
The Preservation Trust of Vermont.
To purchase a
ticket, please send a check for $100 to Paul Bruhn, Preservation
Trust of Vermont, 104 Church Street, Burlington, VT
05401. Include a note with your name, address, phone
number and email indicating that you would like to purchase a
Great Travel Raffle ticket. Your ticket stub will be
returned to you. If the tickets are all sold out, your
check will be returned to you.
For more
detailed information and the raffle guidelines, visit http://www.ptvermont.org/travel_raffle.htm
or call Paul Bruhn at (802) 658-6647 or email paul@ptvermont.org.
The
Grand Isle Lake House Dinner & Mozart Festival Brass Quintet
We’re celebrating the
Centennial year of the Grand Isle Lake House, and we hope you’ll
join us on Thursday, July 17, for dinner and a concert.
The Mozart
Festival program, performed by the Vermont Mozart Festival
Brass Quintet, will include selections from Debussy,
Calvert, Bach, Monteverdi, Ewald, and the New Orleans Rhythm
Kings.
Cash Bar 5
p.m.
Dinner 6 p.m.
Concert 7:30 p.m.
Contribution levels
per person: $75, $100, $250 and $500
This will be a
very special Vermont summer evening, and we hope you will come
and enjoy it with us. Please RSVP and confirm your reservation
before July 7, by sending us your contribution or by calling
658-6647. Thank you!
P.S. Would you
like to spend the night of the 17th at the Lake House? Please
add $85 for a double occupancy room with private bath or $65 for
a room with a shared bath. The number of rooms is limited, so
please book early! Also please include your phone number.
http://www.ptvermont.org/grand_isle_lake_house.htm
Big
Band Sounds!!! Swing with Sterling Weed’s Imperial
Orchestra, and Celebrate Sterling Weed’s 102nd Year!
You’re invited to a special
evening at the Grand
Isle Lake House, East Shore Rd. North, Grand Isle
Wednesday
August 20, 2003
Hors d’oeuvres
& Cash Bar 6pm
Buffet
Dinner 7pm
Dessert &
Dancing 8pm to 10pm
Suggested
contribution levels for Dinner and Dancing:
Contributor $35 per
person
Friend $50 per
person
Sponsor $100 per person
Patron $250 per
person
Founders’ Circle $1,000
Please R.S.V.P.
to Connie Bryant (802) 658-6647 or email connie@ptvermont.org
NATIONAL
NEWS
2003 National
Preservation Conference
September 20 to October 5, 2003
Denver, Colorado
The conference theme is New
Frontiers in Preservation, focusing on a number of key
issues that will affect historic preservation for years to
come. Be sure to register by July 31 for the best
discounts! To register on-line, to view a complete
conference schedule, or to learn more about this exceptional
opportunity, please visit www.nthpconference.org.
New! Special Places in Vermont Publication
With your help, the Preservation Trust of Vermont going to build
a collection of Special Places in Vermont. Our goal
is 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!
Did you know?
That the Preservation Trust of Vermont has a bunch of
interesting and relevant publications on our website? Check them
out: http://www.ptvermont.org/publications.htm
Save Our Lands, Save Our Towns
In case you missed the inspiring and articulate keynote speech
by Tom Hylton at the recent Historic Preservation Conference in
Barre -- or if you'd like more information -- his book Save
Our Lands, Save Our Towns is available for sale.
Save Our Land, Save Our Towns, by
Thomas Hylton, with color photographs by Blair Seitz, is a
coffee table book with a message. Designed to appeal to everyone
from soccer moms to policy makers, it can be skimmed in 15
minutes or fully read in two hours.
The book vividly explains the relationship
between sprawling development and declining cities. It provides
attractive alternatives to the car-dependent lifestyle, and it
shows how to reverse 50 years of sprawl.
In 1993, Hylton spent a year studying how 12
states, from Vermont to Oregon, have adopted statewide planning
guidelines to promote real communities instead of suburban
sprawl.
With the help of 152 full-color photographs
and illustrations, Hylton shows how state planning guidelines
can:
- Lower our cost of living
- Preserve our farms and forests
- Revive our cities
- Protect our environment
- Provide more secure, neighborly communities
- Provide equal opportunities for all our
children
Now in its fourth printing, Save Our Land has been eagerly read
by conservationists, farmers, city dwellers, and others looking
for ways America can protect its cities, towns, and countryside.
The Preservation Trust has copies of his book
and video for sale. Please contact connie@ptvermont.org
for more information.
EDUCATION &
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Workshop: The Diary of a Little
Girl, Thursday, July 17, 2003
Co-sponsored by the Vermont Museum and Gallery Alliance and
Strafford Historical Society
This hands-on workshop is for historical
societies that wish to create strong connections with their
local schools using Strafford's "Diary of a Little
Girl" project as one example. We will explore the
Strafford Historical Society, Strafford Town Clerk's office, and
the landscape as we learn how to glean information from primary
sources. Artifact games and diary analysis will show how
to bring primary sources to children in their own
communities. The workshop will end at the house site of
Alice Bushnell where we will picnic and read the landscape.
Workshop Leaders: Sarah Rooker and Kim
King Zea
Location: Strafford Historical Society, Strafford, VT
Date & Time: July 17, 2003; 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Workshop Fee: $30 (includes a copy of the diary and a
slice of birthday cake made from Alice's recipe).
Bring your local classroom teacher and begin
brainstorming a new project! Bring a picnic lunch and walking
shoes.
Preservation Retreats
The Preservation Trust cordially invites community groups to
participate in one of the retreats being offered at the Grand
Isle Lake House this year.
Aug. 5, 6 (emphasis on industrial heritage and the arts)
Sept. 2, 3
Oct. 14, 15
Participating groups should be prepared to present a 10- to
15-minute case study about a particular challenge or project
they're working on, and to use the case study to frame a
questions or problem that needs to be addressed in order to move
a project along. The retreats are for sharing ideas,
solving problems, and getting together with others who are
working on similar kinds of projects. Check-in is at 3:00
and we finish by 2:00 the following afternoon. Cost is
$50/person for a shared room, $75 for a single, and includes 3
meals. (There are a limited number of single rooms
available on a first-come basis.) We are very grateful to
the Gannett Foundation and Burlington Free Press for their
generous support of the Grand Isle Lake House Retreats.
For more information or to talk about a
possible project of case study, please e-mail. ann@ptvermont.org
or doug@ptvermont.org.
For a preview of the Grand Isle Lake House, visit our Web
site http://www.ptvermont.org/grand_isle_lake_house.htm.
Structural Evaluation & Repair:
Timber Frame Structures: July 16 – 17, 2003
Evaluating the physical condition of a historic or existing
building is the crucial first step in developing a sensitive,
cost effective, rehabilitation or maintenance plan. The
instruction team, comprised of an engineer and a timber framer,
will discuss types of structural systems; evaluation and
testing; locating common problem areas; typical examples of rot
and insect damage; introductory analysis of wood and timber
structures; and case studies in timber repair. A field trip will
be included. Participants are encouraged to bring slides and
photos of structural projects on which they are involved.
Instructors: David Fischetti, PE, DCF
Engineering, has 27 years of engineering experience in the
repair and construction of timber frame structures; Jan
Lewandoski has over 22 years of experience in the restoration of
historically significant structures throughout the U.S. and
Canada. Both write frequently for professional journals about
the preservation and restoration of timber frames.
Dates: Wednesday and Thursday, July 16 – 17,
2003
Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM daily
Location: Chaplin Hall, Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont
Cost: HWI members/government staff: $175
Others: $190
REGISTER NOW: http://www.historicwindsor.com/registration.htm
Introduction to Architectural
Photography: July 18 - 19, 2003
Limited to 15 participants
Photography is essential in the preparation of
rehabilitation and preservation project proposals and
documentation. Building professionals can hone their skills in
this course, which covers types of equipment and film, exterior
and interior lighting, composition, and HABS/HAER and National
Register documentation requirements. The historic buildings of
Northfield, Vermont, will provide ample opportunity to
photograph significant buildings. An in-class assignment
involving disposable cameras and how to use them to best
advantage in adverse light will be included. Arrangements will
be made for overnight photo processing for a critique of
participants’ work on the second day of class.
Instructor: Professor Daniel Doz, Chief,
Norwich University Division of Architecture & Art
Dates: Friday and Saturday, July 18 - 19, 2003
Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM daily
Location: Chaplin Hall, Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont
Cost: HWI members/government staff: $150, plus processing fees
Others: $175, plus processing fees
Equipment: 35 mm camera is required. Bring all lenses
REGISTER NOW: http://www.historicwindsor.com/registration.htm
International Preservation Trades
Workshop
The Preservation Trades Network (PTN) will hold its 7th annual
International Preservation Trades Workshop (IPTW 2003), October
9-11, 2003 at the Blandair Farm historic site near Ellicott
City, Maryland. IPTW 2003 is co-sponsored with PTN by the
Howard County Department of Parks and Recreation.See dozens of
demonstrations by highly-skilled preservation crafts persons,
seminars and exhibits. More information about this year's
IPTW is available at www.ptn.org,
by e-mail at info@ptn.org, or
by writing to Preservation Trades Network, Inc., PO Box 10236,
Rockville, MD20849-0236. IPTW 2003 affords a unique hands-on
opportunity to learn about historic preservation from the
perspective of the traditional craftsperson.
Preservation Education Institute: Other
Workshops at a Glance
www.preservationworks.org
- September 13 Barn Repair
- November 8 & 9 Moldings-- the Building
Blocks of Classical Architecture
- Date Pending
Preservation Philosophy for People Who Maintain Old
Buildings
- Date Pending
American Building Design and Technology
- Date Pending
Repointing Brick Masonry
THE PRESERVATION EDUCATION INSTITUTE
A Division of Historic Windsor, Inc.
PO Box 1777, Windsor, VT 05089-0021
802-674-6752 (Voice/TTY), 802-674-6179 FAX, e-mail: histwininc@valley.net
OPPORTUNITIES
for EMPLOYMENT & VOLUNTEER WORK
Collections Management Intern
Shelburne Museum, in Shelburne, VT seeks an organized and
detail-oriented individual to undertake an inventory of
collections in a large storage building. The intern will
work under the direction of the Collections Management
department to physically inventory the objects. This work
includes object handling, moving and packing, photography, data
entry, applying numbers to the objects, producing box lists and
reference binders, and researching various records to rectify
errors. Skills required: BA; with experience in
collections management practices. Knowledge of American
furniture and decorative arts preferred. This is a full
time position for a ten month period. Benefits include:
stipend of $5,000; housing, and a travel stipend of $900.
Send resume and cover letter to Barbara Rathburn, Associate
Registrar, Shelburne Museum, PO Box 10, Shelburne, VT 05482 by
July 30, 2003. EOE.
Do you live in a converted bank, church
or schoolhouse?
Danny Neckel of NAHB Production Group, Producers of HGTV's
Building Character in Washington, DC is canvassing the country
searching for commercial buildings, such as banks, churches and
schoolhouses, that have been turned into single family
homes. He works for a program called "Building
Character" on HGTV. It's a primetime show that airs
on Sunday nights. See the weblink for more details:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_bdc. Specifically he is
looking for projects where the people living in the converted
structure initiated the conversion.
If you have information that can help him,
contact:
Danny Neckel, Intern
NAHB Production Group
Producers of HGTV's Building Character
1201 15th St NW
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 266-8253
dneckel@nahb.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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