HISTORIC VERMONT
An
on-line news journal about the Preservation of Vermont’s
Historic Architecture and Landscape
Number
4, May 2001
Published by the Preservation
Trust of Vermont, 104 Church Street, Burlington, VT
05401(802) 658-6647
http://www.ptvermont.org
For more information, to subscribe or to
unsubscribe to the email version, or to submit something for
publication please contact Meg Campbell, Editor. mailto:meg@ptvermont.org
NEWS
Historic
Preservation Conference Success!
Approximately 250
people attended this year's historic preservation conference held
at the historic Latchis Hotel in Brattleboro, Vermont. This year's
gathering focused on Preservation Tools: the Cutting
Edge. Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for
Historic Preservation, offered inspiring opening thoughts in his
keynote address. A variety of workshops and area tours
filled the rest of the day. Thanks to everyone who helped
organize and share their expertise with the state's
preservationists.
Richard Moe’s
Speech: http://www.ptvermont.org/rmoe501.htm
Rutland Herald
Article story about the conference: http://rutlandherald.nybor.com/Archive/Articles/Article/26068
Burlington
Breakwater in Lake Champlain
The US Army Corps of
Engineers has just unveiled their new web site on the history and
reconstruction of the 150 year old Burlington Breakwater in Lake
Champlain. Although focusing on the remarkable Breakwater, the web
site provides information on Lake Champlain maritime history and
Burlington waterfront history. Development of a web site was
requested by the VT Division for Historic Preservation as one
measure to mitigate impacts to the Breakwater resulting ,from the
Corps' proposed reconstruction project. http://www.nan.usace.army.mil/project/vermont/burweb/index.htm
Preservation
Opportunity
The James Marston
Fitch Charitable Foundation will award a $25,000 research grant to
mid-career professionals who have an advanced or professional
degree and at least 10 years' experience in preservation or
related fields. The grants are intended to support projects of
innovative original research or creative design that advance
the practice of preservation in the U.S. The deadline is 9/1/2001.
For information on
how to apply, please contact: The James Marston Fitch Charitable
Foundation, 61 Jane Street, Apt. 16P, New York, NY 10014 ,
212-691-3229, fax: 212-691-2435 mail
to: FitchFoundation@aol.com
EVENTS
June 23-24
VERMONT HISTORY
EXPO 2001
A weekend celebration
of Vermont's story as told by the keepers of its treasures and
traditions. on the grounds of the Tunbridge World's Fair in
Central Vermont. 10 am - 5 pm. http://www.state.vt.us/vhs/expo/
August 16-18,
2001
BEFORE MARTHA’S
VINEYARD: AN HISTORIC TOUR OF PRESIDENTIAL SUMMER WHITE HOUSES IN
VERMONT
President Clinton
chose Martha’s Vineyard; George Bush, Sr. preferred
Kennebunkport Maine. While recent presidents have opted for
sandy shores and ocean views, many of the country’s former
presidents looked to the rural wooded areas of Vermont and its
neighbors for their summer escape from Washington. Former
Presidents Calvin Coolidge, Woodrow Wilson and Teddy Roosevelt,
James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson enjoyed the mountain air and
pristine waters of the Northeast. This summer, the Vermont
Division for Historic Preservation (http://www.historicvermont.org),
working with Historic Windsor (http://www.preservationworks.org)
and the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation (http://www.calvin-coolidge.org),
is offering a chance to tour these impressive properties and learn
about the nation's history through an intimate look at the “Presidential
Summer White Houses,” August 16-18, 2001.
The Presidential
Summer White Houses Tour is the first of its kind in the
Northeast. In addition to premier accommodations, expert
lectures, and historical reenactments, participants will enjoy the
same pristine views, scenic beauty, and purifying atmosphere that
drew the nation’s presidents here hundreds of years ago.
For more information about the tour, please contact John Dumville
at the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation at 802-828-3051
or visit www.historicvermont.org, or jdumville@dca.state.vt.us
September 21,
2001
VERMONT DOWNTOWN
PROGRAM CONFERENCE
Third annual
conference at the Capitol Plaza in Montpelier.
THE
PRESERVATION EDUCATION INSTITUTE WORKSHOPS FOR 2001 - 2002
Historic Windsor’s
Preservation Education Institute has announced its 18th series of
preservation skills workshops to be offered between June 2001 and
February 2002. The Preservation Institute, since its
inception, has trained more than 2500 students, primarily building
professionals or knowledgeable laypersons. Through more than
130 workshops they have learned historic restoration techniques
and technology, as well as modern alternatives. Call 802-674-6752
(voice/TTY), via email at mailto:histwininc@valley.net,
or by mail at The Preservation Institute/Historic Windsor, Inc.,
PO Box 1777 Windsor, VT 05089-0021. The complete course
catalog is available at our website: http://www.preservationworks.org
June 2-3:
Repointing Brick Masonry
June 4-8:
Preservation Philosophy for People who Maintain Old Buildings
June 5-6: American
Building Design and Technology
July 20-21:
Structural Evaluation & Repair: Timber Frame
August 16-18:
Presidential Summers Tour
September 17-19:
Introduction to Wooden Window Repair
September 20-21:
Advanced Window Repair
November 3: Did Mark
Twain Really Sleep Here? Learning to Write about Historic
Buildings and Gardens
January 25-26: The
Business Side of Preservation
February 22-23:
Introduction to Decorative Finishes: Graining and Marbling
PEOPLE
Burlington
Architect Welcomed into College of Fellows
Burlington Architect
and Preservation trust of Vermont Board Member William H. Truex,
Jr., was recently elevated to The American Institute of Architects’
(AIA) prestigious College of Fellows, an honor awarded to members
who have made contributions of national significance to the
profession. Congratulations Bill!
Visitors
from the UK
The Preservation
Trust and Paul Bruhn will host a group of British people in
Vermont during the week of June 4th. The group, primarily from
Action for Market Towns (http://www.towns.org.uk/),
an organization involved in regeneration of market towns, hopes to
discuss and learn about two contrasting States examples of the
Main Street programs, the techniques used in the US to engage
their communities in the consultation process, the pros and cons
of having an 'economic only' focus to regeneration, meeting with
US regeneration agencies, meeting with local communities involved
in the regeneration process, meeting with Main Street managers,
the focus on the built environment as the reason for regeneration.
Their visit will begin in Brattleboro and include stops and
discussion with community leaders in Bellows falls, Montpelier,
Williston, Burlington and a couple days at the Grand Isle Lake
House.
STATE NEWS:
PRESERVATION IN PROGRESS
Barnet, Ben
Thresher’s Mill: Coming Together
PTV’s Field
Representative Steve Libby is continuing to work with Hiram
Allen and others to preserve and open to the public Ben Thresher’s
Mill in Barnet. Likely the last water-powered woodworking mill in
Vermont, it has been slowly sliding into disrepair. The last
operator, Ben Thresher, owned and operated this small, wood crib
dam/turbine powered operation to build wooden agricultural
implements and wooden water tubs. Estimated
restoration costs of the building and dam are upwards of
$800,000. With the help of a committed group of local people
and the Fairbanks Museum, a non-profit organization is being set
up to own and develop the property. While other issues
are being worked out with the Vermont Division for Historic
Preservation and Vermont Fish and Wildlife, Hiram Allen is
currently cleaning out the mill with the technical support of an
archeological intern.
Middlebury,
Town Hall Theater Commences Work
Interior demolition
of unsympathetic alterations has begun on Middlebury's Town Hall
Theatre. Future home to the Middlebury Community Players,
the Town Hall Theater will open this summer for performances
though the renovations will be far from complete. Under the
guidance of Douglas Anderson, the executive director of Town Hall
Theater Inc., funds totaling $3.8 million will be raised to
restore this 325-seat theater.
Randolph,
Railroad Coal Sheds: Do they have a future?
Located along the
tracks in Depot Square, these coal sheds are owned by Sheldon and
Elinor Gray on land leased from the railroad. There may be only
two other coal sheds in VT (Brandon and Rutland). The property is
listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is made up
of two coal silos and a large building. The Randolph Selectboard
wants the buildings torn down because they are a fire hazard. PTV
and others have been working to assess the significance of the
coal sheds and explore the feasibility of adaptive use. The town
is very sympathetic to a preservation future and observed that as
long as there is a preservation interest and effort in the works
and if the Shed could be secured from illegal entry (and
potentially combustive activity) then the Town of Randolph would
not seek demolition of the building.
Roxbury,
Roxbury Union Congregational Church: Damaged Steeple, Little
Money, Concerned Congregation
Last year the Roxbury
Union Congregational Church was damaged by the remnants of a
September hurricane. The steeple appeared to have wracked the
framing and allowed moisture penetration. This damage caused
the church elders to notice other potential structural issues
including wall cracks in the vestry. A local engineering firm was
hired to address these concerns and recommended an extensive
replacement of the existing stone foundation and the installation
of transverse I-beams to carry the code required floor loads. The
Church began the process of demolition of the foundation but
halted the work with concerns that the proposed solution was
inappropriate for the historic integrity of the building.
For over a year, PTV has been working with the church, Bob Neeld
of Engineering Ventures and others to reach a more sympathetic fix
to the church’s structural problems that stays within the
limited budget. A recent $25,000 grant from the Preservation
Trust has more than doubled their initial budget.
Shoreham,
Historic Village District: Growing With Historic Preservation
A number of historic
buildings surrounding the Shoreham Village Green are in
transition. The library needs an addition, the Masonic Temple will
soon be on the auction block, the historic Newton Academy is in
need of extensive restoration, and the town clerk's office
building is bursting at the seams. Steve Libby of the Preservation
Trust, Val Demong of the Shoreham Selectboard, and Liz Fitzsimmons
have been discussing strategies for a prudent restoration and
re-use plan for the entire village area. A $2500 Cerf
Planning Grant has been awarded to help with the development
of site plan options and prioritization strategy for multiple
building restorations.
Swanton,
Beacon Feed Towers Issue
The debate centered
around the Pease Grain Tower in Burlington -- laid to rest with
the dismantling of the tower last summer -- has been reincarnated
with the Beacon Feed Towers located along the Missiquoi River in
Swanton. Town official, local historians, area residents and
others are debating the fate of these two defunct towers which
speak to the agricultural past of the area.
NATIONAL
Did you
know...
that the National
Trust for Historic Preservation maintains a list of current
historic preservation news on their website? It’s worth
checking out!
http://www.nationaltrust.org/main/frontline/frontlinemain.htm
Jim Jeffords
Check out Vermont's
Independent senator's thoughts about historic preservation.
http://jeffords.senate.gov/historicprez.html
