HISTORIC
VERMONT
An
on-line news journal about the Preservation of Vermont’s
Historic Architecture and Landscape
Number 5, June 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
CONTENTS:
News
Preservation
in Progress
Events
National
News
NEWS
Outstanding
Work
This May, Paul Bruhn, Executive
Director of the Preservation Trust of Vermont, was awarded the
President's Award from Richard Moe, President of the National
Trust for Historic Preservation. This prestigious honor was given
in grateful appreciation of his decades of effective dedication to
preserving Vermont's rich heritage and in recognition of his
inspiring service as a national leader of the historic
preservation movement. Congratulations Paul!
11 Most
Endangered Historic Places
Each year the list of 11
Most Endangered Historic Places identifies important parts of
American history that are threatened by neglect, insufficient
funds, inappropriate development or insensitive public policy.
Since 1988, the 11 Most Endangered list has drawn public
attention to more than 120 places.
As in the past 13
years, the choices for 2001 range across the country, over time,
and through the architectural styles. This year's sites include a
modernist icon in New England, a 19th century Taoist temple in
California, and centuries-old buildings along the Rio Grande. See
the 2001 choices:
http://www.nationaltrust.org/11most/
While listing does
not ensure protection of a site or guarantee funding, the
designation has been a powerful tool for raising awareness and
rallying resources to save threatened sites in every region of the
country.
Make an
unusal donation!
Do you have something
beautiful, interesting, valuable or enticing that you would like
to donate to the Preservation Trust of Vermont's silent auction?
Items of all kinds are accepted, including gift certificates for
meals, experiences, events, or goods. Most donations are tax
deductible. Contact Val Demong for more information mailto:gdemong@together.net
or call the Preservation Trust of Vermont 658-6647.
Retreat
for Local Preservationists
The Preservation Trust of
Vermont is hosting Preservationists' retreats at the Grand Isle
Lake House, and we'd like to invite you to participate. These
retreats are a group mentoring experience where representatives
from communities are invited to present an approximately 20-minute
case study about a project they're working on. The case study is
meant to frame a situation or problem that once addressed will
move a project forward. Each presentation is followed by a group
discussion and brainstorming session for sharing ideas, expertise
and experience. If you'd like to participate, there are four dates
to choose from: July 23-24; Aug 6-7; Aug 27-28; and Sept 10-11.
The whole idea is
to bring people together from around the state who are working on
similar kinds of projects in order to take advantage of group
experience and thinking. We try to have about 6-7 groups of 2-4
people representing a project. The goal is to boost projects along
their timeline by strategically identifying additional resources,
solving problems, garnering peer support, and generating
self-confidence and momentum.
The retreats last
about 24 hours. Check-in time at the Lake House is 3:00 on Monday.
We finish at 3:00 on Tuesday. Cost for room and meals is $75 for a
double, $95 for a single. There are a limited number of single
rooms available on a first-come basis.
If you'd like to
attend, please e-mail the date your prefer and number of people
who might attending: ann@ptvermont.org.
To reserve a space, please send a check to: Preservation Trust of
Vermont, 104 Church St., Burlington, VT 05401
If you'd like
more information or would like to discuss a project please
contact:
Ann Cousins 434-5014 or ann@ptvermont.org
Steve Libby 434-2592 or steve@ptvermont.org
Paul Bruhn 658-6647 or paul@ptvermont.org
Great
Dinner! Great Band! Great Place!
You're invited to a special
evening at the Grand Isle Lake House on Wednesday August 15th,
2001 to Swing with Sterling Weed's Imperial Orchestra.
Reception at 6 pm, Dinner at 7 pm, Dancing from 8 to 10 pm.
Proceeds from the event will help support the programs of the
Preservation Trust of Vermont. Suggested contribution levels: $60
per person Contributor, $100 per person Sponsor, $250 per person
Patron, $1,000 Founders' Circle. Dessert and Dancing only: $25 per
person (8 to 10 pm). RSVP to lynn@ptvermont.org.
Space is limited so please respond quickly.
Capital
Bill Passed
In June, the Vermont House and
Senate passed H.478 Capital Appropriations Bill. The Capital Bill
for FY 2002 totals $22,405,530. Of particular note are $1.1
million for maintenance and upgrades at several of the state-owned
historic sites; $300,000 for the Waterbury-Green Mountain Club
Long Trail; $350,000 for renovations to the Barre Vermont History
Center; $200,000 for the renovations to the Barre-Vermont Granite
Museum; and one-time appropriations for constructing, relocating
and renovating cultural and recreational facilities, including
$40,000 for the Everett Estate at Southern Vermont College,
$95,000 for the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, $10,000 for the
Rockingham Meeting House, $20,000 for the Stannard Schoolhouse,
and $25,000 for the Vermont Youth Orchestra's Riding Hall at Fort
Ethan Allen in Colchester. For more specific details, check out: http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/2002/bills/passed/H-478.HTM
Vermont
Housing and Conservation Board Grants
At a meeting on June 13, the
Vermont Housing and Conservation Board committed funds to conserve
462 acres of agricultural and recreational land and natural areas
and to create 142 units of affordable housing around the state, as
follows:
Arlington:
$575,000 to the Regional Affordable Housing Corporation to
acquire and construct 29 affordable units in the village center:
12 apartments for seniors and 17 family rental units
Bellows Falls: $325,000
to Housing Vermont, the Bellows Falls Downtown Development
Alliance and the Rockingham Area Community Land Trust to
rehabilitate 13 apartments in the Howard Block, a three-story
commercial and residential property.
Brattleboro:
$106,500 to the Brattleboro Arts Initiative to acquire and
rehabilitate the historic Latchis Memorial Building, a 1930’s
Art Deco complex consisting of a hotel, restaurant, theatre,
office space for a youth theatre company, and two retail
businesses. Rehabilitation will create a regional center for the
visual and performing arts.
Burlington:
$15,000 to the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum to purchase the
historic Captain White House on King Street and rehabilitate it
for meetings, lectures, exhibits, research and administration;
one house lot will be created for a Habitat for Humanity home.
Hartford:
$332,000 to The Housing Foundation, Inc. to redevelop and
reconfigure the Templeton Court Apartments.
Hartland:
$201,000 to the Upper Valley Land Trust to conserve 29 acres of
open land with agricultural use at Exit 9 on Interstate 91
Richford:
$261,500 to Richford Renaissance Corp. to develop 15 units of
family and senior rental housing in a combination of duplexes,
apartments buildings, and the adaptive reuse of a former school.
Royalton:
$68,000 to the Upper Valley Land Trust to conserve 61 acres of
agricultural land with 2000’ frontage on the First Branch of
the White River
St. Albans:
$75,000 to the Abuse and Rape Crisis Program to develop a
five-room emergency shelter facility with common areas and
facilities for women and children
St. Johnsbury:
$453,283 to Gilman Housing Trust to redevelop and reconfigure 28
apartments at the Townhouse Terrace Apartments
South Hero:
$319,100 to the South Hero Land Trust, Lake Champlain Land
Trust, Vermont Land Trust, and The Nature Conservancy of Vermont
to conserve 335 acres for public access, agricultural and
wetland conservation, wildlife habitat, and shoreline
conservation
West
Brattleboro:
$497,922 to the Brattleboro Area Community Land Trust to acquire
two apartment buildings and a barn on Western Avenue and
substantially rehabilitate the properties to create 13
affordable apartments
Westminster:
$20,962 to the Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association to add a
37-acre parcel to the 2,327-acre Windmill Hill Nature Reserve
and Trail in the towns of Dummerston, Putney, Westminster,
Rockingham, Athens and Brookline.
Wilder:
$450,00 to Twin Pines Housing Trust to construct 18 units of
family rental housing
Windsor:
$93,040 to the Rockingham Area Community Land Trust to acquire
and rehabilitate the 20-lot Bunker Hill Mobile Home Park
Statewide:
$25,000 to the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources to develop
management plans for properties acquired with VHCB funds over
the next year; $28,000 to The Preservation Trust of Vermont for
stewardship of the Shelburne Farms Barn and the Southern Acres
Property in Shelburne, the Captain White House in Burlington,
the Latchis Memorial Building in Brattleboro, and the Adams
House in Fair Haven
Since 1987,
Vermont Housing & Conservation Board grants and loans have
helped nonprofit organizations, municipalities and state agencies
to create 6,000 units of affordable housing and to conserve
300,000 acres of agricultural land, natural areas and recreational
lands.
Latchis
Theater, Brattleboro
The Brattleboro Arts
Inititative (BAI) and PTV are making great progress in their
efforts to acquire the Latchis Theater and Hotel Complex in
Brattleboro. The 1938 Art Deco building includes three theaters as
well as a hotel, restaurant and brew pub. With support from
Senator Peter Shumlin (D/Windham) and the entire Windham County
delegation, the legislature approved a $300,000 grant to assist
with the $1.4 million acquisition. The Vermont Housing and
Conservation Board also approved a $100,000 grant. In addition,
the Thompson Trust and a collection of local supporters have
committed over $250,000 to the project. Fundraising continues. The
BAI plan to continue the movie operation as well as expand the
number of live performances in the theater complex.
"A
Local Official's Guide to Developing Better Community Post
Offices"
One of the challenges facing
Vermont's communities is the struggle to keep the post office in
the town and village centers and to insure that the design
solution fits respectfully in the community. Factors such as cost
and efficiency drive United States Postal Service decisions to
relocate local post office, sometimes to sites outside of the town
center. The Vermont League of Cities and Towns, the Preservation
Trust of Vermont, and the Vermont Division for Historic
Preservation, have worked together with residents and local, state
and federal officials to insure that, whenever possible, the local
post office remains visible, convenient, accessible and compatible
with its surroundings.
Coming soon is a
54-page handbook for local officials put together by Jessica Oski,
Esq. and the above organizations which provides effective
strategies for keeping post offices downtown where they can best
contribute to community life. To reserve your copy, please email
Lynn Waller at lynn@ptvermont.org.
The handbook will also be available on the web.
Rehabilitation
Opportunity in Shelburne
The Town of Shelburne is
seeking proposals to reinstate the Noonan House, an historic Queen
Anne style house, to productive use. The Town would like to work
with a developer/tenant to accomplish the building's renovation in
return for a long term lease which reflects the value of the
renovation .Office use is preferred but the Town will be flexible
for the right proposal. A complete package is available at the
Town Office and review of the property can be arranged on request.
Contact Paul Bohne, Town Manager at 985-5110.
PRESERVATION
IN PROGRESS
Barton,
Barton Memorial Building Auditorium
The Colonial Revival style
Barton Memorial Building, located in the center of Barton on the
Green, was built in 1931 as a Veterans Memorial. The brick and
concrete building houses the town offices, a veterans office, and
an auditorium. An ad hoc group is focusing developing plans and
fundraising strategies for rehabilitating the theater structure
itself, including the 64-pane arched windows.
Cornwall,
the Lavalley House and Store
An early 1900's country store
in the center of Cornwall village, also known as the Lavalley
House, was "abandoned" during the depression. Over the
next 60 years the store remained inhabited - minus running water
or central heat - by the daughter of the store owner. Upon the
daughter's death two years ago the house was inherited by an
out-of-state niece who wishes to sell the structure. The store
interior is virtually untouched and retains all of the furnishings
and appliances of a 1930's general store. The town and the
Cornwall Historical Society are currently considering the details
of the building and future use.
Hyde Park,
Hyde Park Opera House
The c.1910 Hyde Park Opera
House is owned by the village and has been leased by the Lamoille
County Players for 50 years. The group would like to turn the
Opera House into year-round facility. Fundraising has begun for
$50,000-$60,000 for heating/ventilation costs, $10,000 for front
window conservation, and $20,000 for theater curtain restoration.
Ludlow,
United Church of Ludlow
This impressive shingle-sided
1892 Colonial Revival church was designed by New York architect
Edward Hapgood and built by Clinton Smith and J. T. Remington.
Inside remains the original 1898 Hutchins pipe organ as well as an
impressive circular corner tower with curved, multi-paned windows
and colonnade supporting a conical roof. The church is beginning
an assessment and fundraising to rehabilitate the building.
Pawlet,
Finding a Use for the Pawlet Historic Schools
Consolidation of old school
buildings in the adjacent towns of Pawlet and Rupert and led to
the vacating of two historic school buildings in the villages of
Pawlet and West Pawlet respectively. Pawlet selectboard appointed
a committee to advise on the disposition of the buildings. Due to
the carrying costs of the two buildings in their current
unoccupied condition the default position of the selectboard was
to sell the buildings. Currently the community members that make
up the Pawlet Projects Committee are investigating re-use options
for the historic buildings. One plan is to rehabilitate the
Village School as a new public library. A 7-12 private school may
be interested in making use of the West Pawlet school.
Pittsford,
Pittsford Village Preservation
Community members in the
village of Pittsford are putting heads together to discuss issues
related to the construction of a new post office, a proposed
realignment of Route 7, which currently bisects the town, and a
need for more community space. Leading much of the effort is Baird
Morgan of the Pittsford Preservation Corporation.
Reading,
Stone Dam
On property owned by Rachel
Frank is an intact 100-foot long by 10-foot high dry lay stone dam
which imponds a pond of approximately 2 acres. This dam was
constructed c.1860 and the pond served as the primary source of
refrigeration ice for Reading residents. The dam has deteriorated
to some degree over the years, primarily due to trees which have
rooted on the top of the dam. Ms. Frank is determined to restore
the dam to its original condition has started seeking both
technical and financial assistance.
Reading,
Jenne Farmstead
The Jenne farmstead is
reportedly the most famous agricultural photo point in North
America. The buildings have adorned many calendar pages and a
print of the farmstead hangs on the wall of the Kremlin. The
photographic community has established a website specifically
devoted to the farm (http://www.pbpub.com/jennyfarm/jenne.htm).
The farmstead, for all its fame, is in serious
deterioration--which may be part of its photographic attraction.
The farmstead
includes four pre-1850 English barns which are connected with
various hand hewn connecting structures. There are a total of 12
to14 historic structures including the brick farmhouse, elevated
corn crib, and other outbuildings. This is not a gentrified,
Woodstock type of farm but instead represents a multigenerational
Vermont family farm with an architectural collection of buildings
typical of mid-19th century Vermont hill farms.
Leaders of the
Jenne Family Foundation are interested in carrying out full
diagnostics of all of the buildings and developing a comprehensive
strategy for phased restoration. This is truly an extraordinary
opportunity to preserve a visual and cultural treasure.
St.
Johnsbury, Renovating the Railroad Station
The 1883 Queen Anne style
railroad station in downtown St. Johnsbury is currently privately
owned but soon to be purchased by Rural Community Transportation (RCT).
The RCT plans to restore the first floor of the building to its
original open floor plan and use the structure as a multi-modal
transportation facility as well as the offices of the RCT.
Vermont,
Vermont Barn Conservancy
With the great number of
historic Vermont barns in jeopardy, there have been several
conversations about establishing an organization specifically
devoted to the preservation of historic barns. A general meeting
of barn advocates was held in the Fall of 1999. A group of
interested individuals began meeting in late 2000 to discuss a
historic barn inventory project and Jeffords' proposed legislation
entitled the National Historic Barn Preservation Act of 2001,
which would provide support for the inventory and restoration of
historic barns in a manner similar to the recent covered bridge
legislation. The group has also developed and submitted a
nomination for the 11 most endangered places award from the
National Trust for Historic Preservation. The endangered group is
a class of barns know as High Drive Bank Barns.
Westimster,
Westminster Town Hall and Post Office
The town of Westminster has
been working for almost two years on plans to rehabilitate the
1889, 2-story, hip-roofed town hall. Currently it houses the town
offices, vault, a meeting room on first floor and a ballroom on
second floor. The post office is located across the street. Town
officials and residents are trying to keep the post office in its
current location with shared parking between the town hall and
post office.
Wilmington,
Memorial Hall
Designed by H.K. White of McKim,
Meade & White, and constructed by local builder, George
Haynes, this shingle-style Memorial Hall was built and owned by
Major Frederick Childs of Brattleboro to accompany Child's Tavern
(now Crafts Inn) next door. Childs was a successful New York and
Florida hotel owner, and Memorial Hall was meant to honor his
parents hometown. Immediately after opening, Childs collected
photographs of Wilmington families and continued to adorn the
walls over the years. The building was transferred to the Town in
1921. In 1997, the town has leased the Hall to Memorial Hall
Center for the Arts, a locally formed non-profit organization
whose mission is to provide a wide assortment of artistic
expression to the public. The building is well used and well
maintained, but is beginning the process to complete repairs and
to improve the theater support infrastructure.
EVENTS
July 20-21: The
Preservation Education Institute Workshop: Structural
Evaluation & Repair: Timber Frame . Call 802-674-6752
(voice/TTY), visit http://www.preservationworks.org,
or email at histwininc@valley.net
for more information.
August 15:
Sterling Weed's Imperial Orchestra Swing Dance and the Grand Isle
Lake House. Benefit for the Preservation Trust of Vermont. See
article above.
August 16-18:
Before Martha's Vineyard: An Historic Tour of Presidential Summer
White Houses in Vermont. For more information about the tour,
please contact John Dumville at the Vermont Division for Historic
Preservation at 802-828-3051 or visit http://www.historicvermont.org,
or jdumville@dca.state.vt.us
September 17-19:
The Preservation Education Institute Workshop: Introduction
to Wooden Window Repair. Call 802-674-6752 (voice/TTY), visit http://www.preservationworks.org,
or email at histwininc@valley.net
for more information.
September 21,
2001: Vermont Downtown Program 3rd annual Downtown
Conference, the Capitol Plaza in Montpelier.
September 20-21:
The Preservation Education Institute Workshop: Advanced
Window Repair. Call 802-674-6752 (voice/TTY), visit http://www.preservationworks.org,
or email at histwininc@valley.net
for more information.
October 16-20:
Preserving the Spirit of Place, National Preservation
Conference, Providence Rhode Island. http://www.nthpconference.org/
November 3: The
Preservation Education Institute Workshop: Did Mark Twain Really
Sleep Here? Learning to Write about Historic Buildings and
Gardens. Call 802-674-6752 (voice/TTY), visit http://www.preservationworks.org,
or email at histwininc@valley.net
for more information.
January 25-26:
The Preservation Education Institute Workshop: The Business
Side of Preservation. Call 802-674-6752 (voice/TTY), visit http://www.preservationworks.org,
or email at histwininc@valley.net
for more information.
February 22-23:
The Preservation Education Institute Workshop: Introduction to
Decorative Finishes: Graining and Marbling. Call 802-674-6752
(voice/TTY), visit http://www.preservationworks.org,
or email at histwininc@valley.net
for more information.
NATIONAL
"Now
is the time to take cities off life support and move them into
recovery room"
In a special luncheon address
before the National Press Club on May 4, 2001, National Trust for
Historic Preservation President Richard Moe declared today that
while America's cities have staged a comeback, they still have a
long way to go and called on the Bush Administration to mount a
major new initiative to spur urban reinvestment and revival. Moe
called on President Bush to initiate a national dialogue that
would bring together mayors, civic and corporate leaders, and
nonprofit executives to identify how best to encourage greater
private investment in urban America. He said the initiatives that
emerge would restore the vigor and promise of America's
cities. Read the address: http://www.nationaltrust.org/main/frontline/releases/2001/May/pr_Moenpc.htm
Interior
Spending Moves Quickly Tthrough Senate
The Historic Preservation
Fund Down to $74 million
As the first Senate
spending bill out of the gate, the Interior Appropriations bill
H.R. 2217 made a quick and clean finish. Thursday morning, the
bill cleared the subcommittee by unanimous consent and by the
afternoon the full committee had given its thumbs up. Chairman
Robert Byrd (WV) did acknowledge there would be contentious
amendments, however, he asked members to wait to offer them on the
floor after the July Fourth recess. The committee approved overall
spending of $18.5 billion, a reduction of $380 million from the
House recommendation.
The Senate bill
reduces the funding for the National Trust Historic Sites Fund by
$3 million, approving $2 million for the program. The Historic
Sites Fund would support preventative maintenance and capital
improvements to sites owned and operated by the National Trust.
Funding for the States, Tribes and Save Americas Treasures
remained level with the House committee recommendation. The
reduction takes the total HPF spending for FY02 down to $74
million, a $20 million reduction from current funding of $94
million.
In the path towards
an Interior budget, the bill will next go to the Senate floor,
followed by a House-Senate conference in late July or after the
August recess. A graph and table showing the status of the FY02
appropriations bills can be found at http://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/appover.html
[Prepared by
Preservation Action, Fax: 202/659-0189 mail@preservationaction.org
www.preservationaction.org]
Tax Credit
Takes Center Stage
25th Anniversary Party
Celebrates Success of Historic Rehabilitation Tax
Credit
Twenty-five years
ago Congress created the first tax incentive for historic
rehabilitation. Today it leverages billions of dollars each year
in private investment in historic resources. On Wednesday, June
27, Preservation Action, the National Conference of State Historic
Preservation Offices, the National Park Service, the National
Trust for Historic Preservation and Bank of America celebrated 25
years of tax credit success by honoring legislators who were
instrumental in the credit's enactment and continue to support
such initiatives today. Senators James Jeffords (I-VT), Pete
Domenici (R-NM), and Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), along with
Representatives Donald Manzullo (R-IL), and Representative Brad
Sherman (D-CA) received awards for their commitment to historic
preservation and gave remarks at the event. A special presentation
was made to the author of the original bill, former Senator J.
Glen Beall of Maryland.
No birthday party
would be complete without a cake. A four foot high, six foot long
frosted replica of the Ferry Building in San Francisco added to
the festivities.
As part of the
event, the National Park Service released a new report detailing
use of the credit nationwide in the past 5 years. Highlights of
the report: 4,700 projects approved; 194,721 jobs created; $4.76
billion in private investment, 27,851 low and moderate income
housing units created.
[Prepared by
Preservation Action, Fax: 202/659-0189 mail@preservationaction.org
www.preservationaction.org]
Historic
Homeowner: Did you know?
The National Trust for Historic
Preservation maintains a portion of its web site just for you.
Check out: http://www.nationaltrust.org/main/homeowner.htm
