HISTORIC VERMONT
An on-line news journal about the
Preservation of Vermont’s Historic Architecture and Landscape
Number 9, December 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. meg@ptvermont.org
Dear Friends,
We had a great response to the Silent
Auction. It looks like we will generate over $25,000 in
total revenue! Thanks to everyone who participated. A
special thanks to Val Demong and Adam Sbardellati who made this
exciting event a reality.
The funds raised through our silent auction
event and other fundraising efforts go to support preservation in
communities throughout Vermont. To see some of the things we
accomplished in 2001-- Preservation Grants, Field Service
Program, Downtown Initiatives, Village Stores, Better Post Offices
and the Grand Isle Lake House -- visit the Preservation
Trust of Vermont web site at http://www.ptvermont.org.
Finally, congratulations to our 2001
Preservation Award Winners. This year, the
Equinox Hotel and Resort helped us recognize eight organizations
and communities who achieved great success, often in enormously
challenging circumstances. The recipients exemplify
the hard work that is going on in every corner of Vermont.
The 2001 Preservation Award Winners are: Lamoille Housing
Partnership, Vermont Youth Orchestra for the Elley-Long Music
Center, Housing Vermont for the Exner Block in Bellows Falls,
Barre Historical Society for the Old Labor Hall in Barre,
Duncan and Megs Keir and the Town of Huntington Selectboard for
the Fuller House Project, East Braintree Congregational Church,
Paramount Center in Rutland, and the City of St. Albans for the
American House Annex and Franklin Heights. Excellent work
everyone!
I wish you and your families a peaceful and
healthy holiday season.
Paul Bruhn
Executive Director, Preservation Trust of Vermont
P.S. If you would like support our work,
send your contribution to:
Preservation Trust of Vermont
104 Church Street
Burlington, Vermont 05401
Lyman Orton has offered us a Challenge Grant to
help us increase public support of the Preservation Trust.
If you donate $50, Lyman will donate another $25. Thanks for
your consideration!
Vermont
National
Commentary
Publications
& Resources
Events
Opportunities
VERMONT
The Latchis Project Receives Federal
Funding
Sen. Patrick Leahy has secured $300,000 in the VA/HUD
appropriations bill to assist the Brattleboro Arts Initiative and
Preservation Trust of Vermont in the preservation of the historic
Latchis Complex and renovation into a multi-use educational,
performing arts, and conference center for the Brattleboro
area. The Latchis Center will make a significant
contribution to the ongoing revitalization of Brattleboro's
downtown business community. Arts and cultural events are
recognized by town planners and economists as major factors in
establishing and maintaining a vital economy.
The goals of the Brattleboro Arts Initiative and
the Preservation trust of Vermont are realized in the preservation
of the Latchis Complex, one of only two remaining Art Deco
structures in Vermont, and in making the facilities available as a
multi-use center containing three theaters for cinema and live
arts performances, in addition to the a hotel and restaurant.
"This endeavor is an excellent illustration
of action by a local initiative to save a historic building while
meeting a critical community need," said Sen. Leahy.
"The Latchis Project will be yet another outstanding part of
the effort to restore downtown Brattleboro, much of which has
already been accomplished with tremendous community spirit."
National Register News
The National Park Service has recently listed the Roswell
Butler House in Essex on the National Register of Historic
Places. It is a circa 1822 brick, Federal style house
with a c. 1850 ell and a Queen Anne style wrap around porch. Built
by a prominent local businessman at an important local crossroads,
the building incorporates Federal stylistic features which reflect
the owner’s social standing and affluence. It was recently
rehabbed utilizing the Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit.
The National Park Service also recently listed
the Jericho Rural Historic District, in Hartford and Norwich
on the National Register of Historic Places. This
intact farming district contains 35 contributing properties
located in a natural upland bowl. It includes a string
of contiguous intact farmsteads which depict the architecture and
diverse agricultural activities of typical small-scale Vermont
hill farms that evolved from the late 18th century to the mid 20th
century.
The Waitsfield Common Historic District
was also recently listed on the National Register of Historic
Places by the National Park Service. The district is a
well-preserved early hilltop settlement containing 12 contributing
properties surrounding the 1798 public common. It includes
other historic landscape features such as a cemetery, tree and
stone fence-lined eighteenth century roads, and cleared
agricultural land. Included in the district are
several Federal period homes and farmsteads which represent the
late 18th and early 19th century period of development. The
district is representative of patterns of early town development
as well as the development of political and agricultural history.
Grants Awarded
The Preservation Trust in partnership with the Freeman Foundation
has awarded the following grants:
Albany Historical Society: $10,000.
Last year the Albany Historical Society completed structural
repairs to the former Albany Academy building, home to the
Historical Society since 1995 and raised $15,000 to erect a
Memorial in front. The grant is a huge boost that will
enable them to purchase a new furnace and paint the interior tin
ceiling, walls and wainscoting.
Vermont Technical College’s Red
Schoolhouse Project, Randolph Center: $35,000.. In
2000 the Town of Randolph donated the early 20th century
schoolhouse to VTC for use as it’s agricultural education
center. The expanded space will enable the school to add
beef and sheep production courses to their curriculum.
Ultimately the second floor space will have the capacity for
special workshops and be available for community meetings.
Phase one work includes exterior work, access, and the
rehabilitation of the entire first floor.
Westminster Town Hall: $40,000.
The Italianate style Westminster Town Hall was built in 1889 and
is a contributing structure within the Westminster Village
Historic District. The building remains remarkably well
preserved, retaining most of its original features. Town offices
are on the first floor, and on the upper floor is a large open
hall with a raised stage. The Town has completed Phase One
of its restoration plan, making repairs to the cupola and
installing a fire alarm system. They are now working on the
second phase of repairs. The grant will allow them
to conserve the windows and install storm windows (the building
has electric baseboard heat), replace deteriorated clapboards
and skirtboards, and paint the building. In addition, it
will allow them to repair a cracked marble monument that sits in
front of the Town Hall and is currently held together by a steel
chain. This monument, which once served as a watering trough,
was given to the town in 1913 by Henry Kellogg Willard in memory
of his great-grandfather, William Czar Bradley, and father,
Henry August Willard.
Middletown Springs Elementary School:
$15,000. The Middletown Springs Elementary School,
built in 1904 in the Neo-Classical Revival style, is a great
example of strong civic pride and concern for education that
isn't always apparent in schools built in the last half of the
20th century. The two-story building features a central
pavilion with full entablature, quoins, a belfry and clock
tower. Over the past four years, the School Board as spent
over $20,000 to repair the tower, repair the slate roof, and
replace rotted siding. The grant coupled with additional
local funding will help them finish repairs to the exterior
woodwork and paint the building in its original polychromatic
paint scheme.
Isle La Motte, Methodist Episcopal
Church Society: $30,000. The United Methodist
Church was erected by Scottish stonemason James Ritchie for $434
which included $12 for "two men at Fisk Quarry dressing cut
stone." The church trustees have steadily maintained
the building, spending $8,000 in the last five years for
repairs. In July they started a major project to repair
the bell tower, but when the contractor began the work, they
discovered the deterioration was much more extensive than
expected, and repairs would exceed the $10,000 the church had
raised. The trustees have slowly built an endowment for
continued maintenance.
Isle La Motte, Blacksmith Shop: $10,000.
Built in the early 1800s as a blacksmith shop, this building has
the remarkable history that it continued as a blacksmith shop
which was operated by the same family until 1961 when the
building and contents were given to the Isle La Motte Historical
Society. Containing what is reputedly the best collection
of blacksmithing tools in the State, the building was moved in
1962 to the Historical Society grounds on Quarry Road, behind a
stone schoolhouse also owned and maintained by the Historical
Society. The Historical Society is raising funds to jack
the building, reestablish the cement block foundation, repair a
beam, repair of roof trusses, installl a new metal roof,
and repoint the stone building.
University of Vermont Morgan Horse Farm,
Weybridge: $50,000. A 1905 Act of Congress
established the Morgan horse as the first U.S. horse breed and
instructed the federal government to set up a Morgan horse
breeding program to ensure the availability of high quality
cavalry mounts. The program was initially located at the
University of Vermont, but was later moved to Weybridge when
Colonel Joseph Battell donated his farm and collection of
Morgans to the cause. The farm is now used by UVM as part
of its equine science educational program. The property
has been well-maintained with recent expenditures of over
$250,000. The challenge now is to install a fire
suppression system to protect the historic barns and the
irreplaceable Morgans.
The Preservation Trust mourns the loss of
Walter Cerf
Walter Cerf, a retired professor of philosophy, who is best known
to Vermonters as a philanthropist in the arts, education, historic
preservation and social services, died October 26, 2001 in his
home in Leicester.
Born in Germany in 1907, Mr. Cerf was educated
in Berlin and attended Universities in Freiburg, Heidelburg,
Austria, Bonn and Princeton. He became a naturalized citizen
in 1943, served in the U.S. Army, and later taught philosophy at
Princeton, University of Minnesota and Brooklyn College. He
retired to Vermont in 1971.
Mr. Cerf made gifts to Champlain College, the
Shelburne Museum and the Vermont Arts Endowment. In 1997 he made a
$2 million gift to the Vermont Community Foundation to create the
Walter Cerf Community Fund. Over the past 15 years, he made
gifts exceeding $12.5 million to more than 120 Vermont
organizations.
There will be no services. A celebratory
event is planned for May 14, 2001 which would have been his 95th
birthday. Memorial contributions may be made to the Brandon
Area Rescue Squad, Brandon, VT 05733.
PRESERVATION IN PROGRESS
Ascutney Union Church
Built in 1848, the Ascutney Union Church is located in the center
of the village, next to the Town offices. Because of its location,
the church goes beyond its ecclesiastical function to serve the
community as a meeting place for various groups, including housing
the food shelf. The small congregation, while faced with
financial challenges, has been very energetic, raising
approximately $30,000 and lots of volunteer labor to
systematically address needed repairs to the building.
It's taken them three years, but Elsie Dodge, who is
gathering all of the estimates and overseeing the final
fundraising push, is confident they'll raise enough this year to
conserve the windows, buy new invisible storm windows, and finish
interior plaster repairs. For more information and certain
inspiration, contact Elsie at edodge@tds.net.
Barton Memorial Building
The Barton Memorial Building, located on the village green, was
built in 1931 as a veterans' memorial. The brick and concrete
Colonial Revival building houses the town offices, a veterans
office, a downstairs hall and a 400 seat theater. Several groups
in town have been focusing on rehabilitating the theater
space. Two years ago, with the help of a Better Communities
for Vermont's Future grant, they raised $20,000 to install a lift,
making the space accessible. Now they're continuing to
fundraise to address code issues and upgrade the theater lighting
and conserve four massive arched windows that define the north
facade. Roger and Dale Shaffer, who run the local B&B,
"Shafferdale", and have a background in theater, are
organizing the effort. They've written letters, talked to
local clubs, hosted a variety show in the theater, held a
sugar-on-snow party on the Green, and every other week host a
bingo party sharing proceeds with the Library (a fundraising idea
borrowed from Irasburg Town Hall restoration committee).
It's a long process and lots of work, but they're building lots of
support for this project and seeing results. For more
information (or to stay at the Shafferdale B&B), please
contact Roger or Dale at shafferdale@hotmail.com
or 525-4405.
Bethel Old Town Hall
Built c.1885, the Queen Anne style old Town Hall is very similar
to Middlebury's Clinton Smith designed Old Town Hall. The
community is interested in rehabilitating the building, and in
1998, the town received an Agency of Commerce and Community
Development Planning Grant to look at downtown revitalization and
in particular at the old town hall. Arnold and Scangas
Architects completed the study, finding the building needs
approximately $385,000 to bring it back. Since 1970 the building
housed the fire department and two large garage doors were cut
into the façade. And the Masonic Lodge currently leases
space upstairs in the great hallway and is looking for a new
home. Thankfully, when the Masons converted the space for
their needs, they simply constructed a box inside the room, so
that all of the historic finishes of the hall are intact! The town
offices are located on the edge of town on Rt 107. Hopefully
in the near future, they'll be back in the center of town in the
Old Town Hall. The contact for this project is Nancy Hughes
at 234-9152.
Bethel-Lympus Church
Built in the 1830s, this remotely located, vernacular white
clapboard church remains remarkably intact in spite of having no
heat or electricity. The building is used seasonally by local and
summer residents, who have worked hard to maintain the building
over the years. Doug Porter completed a condition assessment,
giving the trustees a road map for making repairs to the
building. They've been fundraising and received both a State
grant and $20,000 Preservation Grant from the Preservation Trust
to address repairs to the foundation, joists, and windows.
They are currently seeking bids for repairs. Contact is
George Carr at 234-5132.
Burlington Lakeview Cemetery
An ad hoc group of volunteers has been working for several years
at the Lakeview Cemetery to rehabilitate the outstanding
neo-Gothic style Howard Memorial Chapel, which is the highly
visible from North Avenue. The polychrome nature of this
masonry building is carried out even in the mortar, which was
meticulously restored several years ago. Much of the group's
recent efforts have been devoted towards organizational
development, particularly in defining how this ad hoc committee
will coordinate with the Burlington Cemetery Commission.
Beyond that, they are beginning to fundraise in partnership with
Preservation Burlington for the next phase of repairs: restoring
the interior, so that the building can again be used as a chapel
rather than the storage facility that it has been relinquished to
for too many years. For more information, please contact
Rosalie Sprout at rsprout@earthlink.net.
Cornwall, Lavalley house and store
This early 1900's country store located in the center of Cornwall
village was "abandoned" -- as a store -- during the
depression. Over the next 60 years the house remained inhabited,
with no running water or central heat, by the spinster daughter of
the store owner. The store interior is virtually untouched and
retains all of the furnishings and appliances of a 1930's general
store. An out-of-state relative who inherited the store and
realized what a gem it was, recently gave the property to the Town
of Cornwall as a transition measure until the Historical Society
could organize to receive the property. Repairs and restoration,
as well as future uses of the property, remain to be worked
out. Working on this time capsule is Peter Conlon at pmconlon@together.net.
Danby Congregational Church
Built in 1838, the Danby Congregational Church has undergone a
series of renovations so that it now exhibits Greek Revival,
Gothic, and Colonial Revival style elements. The bell tower was
removed in 1988 and today church members and local residents have
launched a campaign to replicate the bell tower. The church
received a Preservation Grant from the Preservation trust of
Vermont of $25,000 to help with the project. Construction
for Phase I to address immediate repairs is nearly complete and
the greater Danby community is working hard to fundraise for the
next phase. Project architect is Tom Keefe, contractor is
Harvest Construction and local contact is Paolo Zancanaro at paolo@sover.net.
Lyndon Historical Society: Shores Museum,
Lyndon Town House, Old Schoolhouse, Randall Covered Bridge
The Historical Society is working to make repairs to four Lyndon
buildings: an 1896, Queen Anne style Shores Museum; 1857 one-room
schoolhouse to be restored as a museum; 1809 Town House to be
rehabilitated to better serve community public uses; and the
Chamber of Commerce-owned Randall Covered Bridge, which is
critically in need of abutment work. Jan Lewandowski completed a
condition assessment, which is serving as a road map to plan
repairs and fundraise. The historical society mounted a
capital campaign February 2001 and have raised approximately
$20,000 of the $55,000 needed. They continue to work with the Town
and to actively fundraise to meet their goal. Contact is Jim
Fearon at jmfearon@together.net.
North Clarendon, Old Brick Church
Built by the Congregationalists in 1824, this Federal style brick
church features round arch windows and entry fanlights over twin
paneled doors, set within wall arcade. An integral brick tower and
belfry supports a spire, added in 1881 after the original belfry
blew off in a windstorm. The church was listed on the National
Register in 1984 as part of the Clarendon Village Historic
District. The church just learned they need to raise $140,000 for
critical steeple repairs. Contact person is John Pedone
722-4770 ext. 150.
Randolph, Kimball House
In September, the White River Craft Center purchased the stately
Kimball House, a large clapboard and shingle-sided 1887 Queen Anne
style house built by Col. Robert Kimball as a summer residence.
Kimball made his fortune in the banking business in NYC, and later
endowed the Kimball Library in Randolph. The house was used for a
number of years as the Randolph Country Club, and for a time was
the Green Mountain Inn. In 1955 it was converted to the
Tranquility Nursing Home. The White River Craft Center is a
non-profit organization that offers outdoor programs, craft
classes and mentoring for kids. Architect, Tom Keefe, is
doing an assessment to help plan for the building's
rehabilitation. The White River Craft Center hopes to do
much of the work themselves as training for their students.
Project contact is Kevin Harty, who's skills as a cabinetmaker and
architectural woodworker will come in very handy! Kevin is
at 728-6532.
Statehouse Model
The Montpelier Historical Society is working to restore a 1929
scale model of the Vermont Statehouse. Weighing 2000 lbs,
the 15' x 8' x 12' model was built by local carpenters to
commemorate the dedication of the Champlain Bridge. Chris
Bellamy, a UVM Historic Preservation graduate, is overseeing the
repairs to this unique historic treasure. For more
information or to volunteer to help, please contact Chris at chrbellamy@aol.com.
Wallingford, Gilbert Hart Library
Built in 1894, this Neoclassical Revival style library built of
brick and marble with terra cotta detailing is located in the
center of the Wallingford Village Historic District. The building
was added onto in 1910 and 1940, but now is desperately out of
space. The library's Strategic Planning Committee is working with
Christine Graham to try to raise more than $350,000 to provide ADA
access, stack space, children's room, program space, computer
terminal space, librarian office, and meeting room. Ralph
Nimtz is the project architect. The tireless, volunteer
contact is Anne Miller at annegmiller@yahoo.com
NATIONAL
Congress Continues Consideration of
Farm Bill
The Senate Agriculture Committee finally approved the Agriculture,
Conservation, and Rural Enhancement Act of 2001 (S 1628) known as
the Farm Bill, by voice vote on November 15th, after weeks of
marking up the bill. The legislation includes two preservation
measures. The National Historic Barn Preservation Act (S.
1604), introduced by Senator James Jeffords (I-VT), was
added to the Rural Development Title of the Farm Bill. It
authorizes $25 million annually over the next five years for grant
funding to protect historic barns. The Conservation Security
Act (S. 932), which authorizes $5 billion over 10 years to
encourage farmers to adopt conservation practices, includes
historic buildings, structures, objects, and archaeological sites
on farmlands an eligible category. It was included in the
Conservation Title of the Farm Bill. Both measures recognize
historic barns and sites as essential elements of resource
conservation and agricultural heritage.
If the lengthy committee mark-up is any
indication, the process of getting the bill through the full
Senate may be difficult. However, bill sponsors are
committed to producing a farm bill this year. Agriculture
Committee member Zell Miller (D-GA) stated failure to do so
"would be a slap in the face of every farmer across this
nation." The current law will not expire until
September 2002, but it is assumed that new money set aside
for agriculture over the next 10 years will not be available if
the legislation is not completed by the end of this year.
Prepared by Preservation Action, Fax:
202/659-0189, mail@preservationaction.org,
www.preservationaction.org
for the PRESERVATION ACTION LEGISLATIVE WATCH, Vol. 4, Number 45,
November 16, 2001
Protecting Historic Buildings from Chain
Drugstores
by Stacy Mitchell, Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Several years ago the major drugstore chains---CVS, Walgreens,
Rite Aid, and Eckerd---lost interest in strip malls and began to
focus their expansion plans on prominent downtown intersections.
As Walgreens CEO Daniel Jorndt told the New York Times, the
chain's preferred location these days is "the corner of Main
and Main."
Often, of course, these intersections are
occupied by some of the community's oldest and most significant
buildings. Rather than reuse these structures, chain drugstores
have bulldozed numerous downtown blocks to make way for their
cookie-cutter outlets:
- An ornate 1906 Beaux Arts style building in
DeKalb, Illinois was demolished for a Walgreens.
- A 200-year-old inn in Whitpain,
Pennsylvania, was razed for a CVS.
- The historic Depot in Tarboro, North
Carolina, was torn down early one Sunday morning while
citizens groups were in the middle of negotiations with
Eckerd over the its fate.
- In Brownsburg, Indiana, CVS demolished an
entire block of historic buildings on the corner of the
town's busiest intersection. One year later, Walgreens
leveled the opposite block.
"There's no way to know how many communities have been
affected," says Cristina Prochilo of the National Trust for
Historic Preservation. "But we've been flooded with phone
calls from people asking for help."
In 1999, the National Trust for Historic
Preservation, citing fears that downtowns would be converted to
"cut-rate versions of suburban strip malls," placed the
"Corner of Main and Main" on its annual list of
America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. Soon after, the
Trust reached agreements with the major pharmacy chains to spare
buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Unfortunately, many important and eligible
structures have not been submitted for inclusion in the Register
and remain at risk. Nevertheless, the Trust's attention to the
issue and the resulting publicity have strengthened local
campaigns. In Oklahoma City, plans to replace a 1958 Buckminster
Fuller-designed geodesic dome with a Walgreens were recently
dropped. In Hamilton, Ohio, six historic buildings on Main Street
were saved from CVS.
Although citizen protest can succeed, the only
way to ensure protection of important structures is through local
zoning ordinances that safeguard designated historic districts and
establish design standards. Such ordinances are multiplying as
communities realize the value of historic buildings.
Some communities are also focusing their
economic development efforts on independent pharmacies and
enacting ordinances that deter chains, such as formula business
restrictions, impact reviews, and limits on the size of retail
stores. A 4,000 square foot cap on the size of retail businesses
in some San Francisco neighborhoods, for example, keeps out
drugstore chains, which are reluctant to build outlets smaller
than their standard 14,000 square foot format.
-- The National Trust for Historic Preservation
can provide model ordinances and guidance for communities seeking
to protect historic structures. Call 202-588-6296 or visit http://www.nthp.org.
-- Examples of size caps, impact reviews, and formula business
restrictions can be found on the New Rules web site at
http://www.newrules.org/retail
Stacy Mitchell is a researcher with the New
Rules Project (http://www.newrules.org)
of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. She is the author of The
Home Town Advantage: How to Defend Your Main Street Against Chain
Stores and Why It Matters (ILSR, 2000) and edits a bimonthly email
newsletter (http://www.newrules.org/hta/index.htm)
on efforts nationwide to keep chain stores out and protect locally
owned businesses.
COMMENTARY
It works!
Retreats for Volunteer Preservationists
By Ann S. Cousins
A bit of magic happens when local volunteer
preservationists gather at the Grand Isle Lake House to talk about
community projects. Part of the magic comes from the passion
of individuals who care deeply about their communities.
Another part is the discovery that there are others out there with
similar hopes and experiences. And not to be overlooks,
there’s the setting-- the turn-of-the-century former hotel,
Grand Isle Lake House, now owned by the Preservation Trust
of Vermont, is simply a perfect place for a retreat.
For the past three years, the Preservation Trust
of Vermont has hosted two-day retreats for volunteers who are
working on community preservation projects. The retreats are
tied closely with the work of the Field Services Program, a
partnership of the Preservation Trust of Vermont and the National
Trust. The Field Services Program provides direct assistance
to groups undertaking community preservation projects. The
retreats are a way to bring together six or seven community groups
working on similar kinds of projects. A goal is to have a
good mix of interesting projects at different points along their
timeline. According to Paul Bruhn, Executive Director for
the Preservation Trust of Vermont, “The participants mentor each
other, learn that they are not the only ones working on very
challenging projects, and see that they are all part of the
process of building better communities and helping to protect the
character of Vermont."
The retreats are structured so that each group
of two-to-four individuals is invited to present a 10-15 minute
case study about their preservation project. The case study
is meant to frame a specific problem or situation that once solved
will catapult that project to a higher level. Following the
case study is about 45 minutes of brainstorming and
cross-mentoring.
Along with community preservationists, two or
three resource people are part of the mix. Depending on the
projects, they might include someone from the State Historic
Preservation Office or National Trust Northeast Office, or a
fund-raising consultant, developer, architect, or someone from the
Vermont Arts Council. By-and-large, it is the community volunteers
who bring collective thinking and experience to one another’s
projects. At times, mentors have challenged the credibility
of the problem, turning a project on its head before sending it
down another path. Other times they have validated a group’s
intuition. But always, participants have been generous with
advice, often going beyond the retreat to visit one another’s
projects and provide ongoing support.
Besides the structured case studies, the
retreats allow time, before and after dinner, for more casual
discussion -- maybe during a walk, or sitting on the porch, or
gathering around a scrapbook or display. During those
special moments, ideas continue to flow with even more out-of-the
box thinking. According to Sandy Kilburn, a retreat participant
from Swanton, Vermont, “It’s so important to get together --
to be inspired by what other towns are doing and to learn from
them so that we don’t reinvent the wheel. It’s
invaluable!”
And finally there's the setting! Bringing people
together in a wonderful historic place brings out the best. Owned
by the Preservation Trust of Vermont, this 1902-3, former-hotel on
Lake Champlain, is a preservation project in progress. “Part
of the reason we decided to take on the Grand Isle Lake House
project was that we hoped we could use this great place as a venue
for nonprofit training and education” says Bruhn. “In fact, we
hoped it would be our version of a nonprofit "dacha" --
a place for renewal and re-energizing people active in the
nonprofit sector." Every effort is made to keep the
experience affordable. Overnight with dinner, breakfast and lunch
costs $75 per person. “And in the end,” says Bruhn, “it's
truly amazing to see people fly out of the Lake House with new
energy and enthusiasm.” The retreats help build Vermont’s
preservation network.
Ann
Cousins is the Vermont Field Service Representative for the
Preservation Trust of Vermont and the National Trust. For more
information about the Field Service Program, the Grand Isle Lake
House, and Preservationists’ Retreats, please visit the
Preservation Trust web site at www.ptvermont.org.
Reprinted with permission, National Trust
Forum, The National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1785
Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036. This article
appeared in the January/February 2002 issue of Forum News, Vol.
VIII, No. 3.
PUBLICATIONS & RESOURCES
"Stop the Circ" Website now up
and running
StopTheCirc.com -- now available on the Web at http://www.stopthecirc.com
-- gets to the heart of the controversial Chittenden County Circ
Highway by countering the 10 most often cited arguments in favor
of building the highway. StopTheCirc.com also provides a
variety of interactive ways for learning about the Circ Highway
and its impacts:
- Take a short quiz to test your knowledge
about the Circ.
- Check out the Circ Highway "Strange,
but True, Facts."
- Come along on a photo tour of the Circ
right-of-way to see what will be
- lost if the Circ is completed (and meet
Walter the donkey along the way).
- The Circ & its environmental impacts.
- Why fiscal conservatives should be alarmed
by the Circ.
- Find out how you can help efforts to stop
the Circ.
StopTheCirc.com is not affiliated with any
organization or business. www.StopTheCirc.com has been
independently developed by Wayne Senville, former Chair of the
Burlington Planning Commission and Vermont "citizen planner
of the year." According to Senville, "Many citizens have
given up on fighting the Circ, even though they realize it will be
extraordinarily expensive to complete, and most likely the biggest
sprawl-inducing transportation project in Vermont. Fortunately,
there's still a window of opportunity for stopping the Circ. One
aim of this Web site is to help energize people to fight the Circ,
whether by contacting their state rep, speaking to their
selectboard, or signing our online petition to the Governor."
The Men of Maple Corner Calendar
Maple Corner Men Reveal Community Spirit…And Much More.
Responding to their community center’s need
for money, the Men of Maple Corner, in Calais, VT, dropped
everything - or nearly everything - for “The Men of Maple Corner
” a calendar for 2002. And the world has taken notice: the
calendar has been featured on NBC’s Today Show, CNN, USA Today,
the Associated Press and by several foreign news services, as well
as in the local press.
Check out “Mr. March” - lifetime resident
Stanley Fitch - artfully posed in his sugarhouse. Or perhaps you’d
prefer “Mr. April” - fishing guide Don Heise, in his canoe.
The idea for the calendar came about after the
Maple Corner Community Center found itself facing high-priced
renovations to the 100-plus year old building, and having a
diminishing supply of cash. “We’ve been very energetic about
raising money,” said Cornelia Emlen, who spearheaded the
calendar project. “We’ve written grants, we’ve held
fund-raisers, and we’ve gone to people with our hands out. But
we found ourselves thousands of dollars short of our goal.”
The initial goal of raising $28,000 included
funding many big-ticket items required by state regulations,
including the installation of an accessible bathroom, a fire
escape, and a new septic system. In addition, on-going repairs to
the historic, white clapboard building were necessary. With
25,000 calendars printed - and nearly all sold - and a third
printing in the works, the goal has clearly been met, although the
amount of money collected is unclear as costs associated with the
project continue to rise. The spending of the
additional money will be the subject of community-wide discussion
in the near future.
The community center, located in the village of
Maple Corner, 10 miles north of Vermont’s capital city,
Montpelier, has served as a gathering place for the community
since the 1920s. Built as a store in the late 1800s, it was moved
(about a mile) to its present site in 1923, and served for many
years as the local Grange Hall. In 1949, when the Grange
disbanded, the Maple Corner Community Club was formed. Since
that time, many events - pot-luck suppers, plays, dances,
concerts, poetry readings, and holiday parties - have been held
there. It is a non-profit, 501-C3 organization.
The much-publicized success of “The Ladies of
Rylstone” calendar - in which members of a British women’s
organization disrobed for charity - spurred Emlen and others to
take on this project. The calendar was initially called “The
Full VerMonty,” after the 1998 British film, “The Full Monty,”
which tells the story of a group of out-of-work men who perform a
strip-tease to make money. But trademark issues with Twentieth
Century Fox have made the use of the name problematic. We regret
any confusion that may have resulted from the change in name.
The project has given rise to “great community
spirit and a certain number of bad puns,” said Emlen. She said
the project organizers were aiming for a calendar that is “tacky,
but tasteful.” Professional photographer and Calais
resident Craig Line volunteered his services to create the quality
black-and-white images. Samples of the calendar photographs
can be viewed in the “recent projects” section of Line’s
website, at www.craiglinephotos.com.
The calendar, which costs $15 plus $1.oo
shipping, can be ordered on-line at www.maplecorner.net,
a community website designed and maintained by “Mr. May,”
Steve Gallagher. Or calendars can be ordered by sending a check or
money order to: Calendar, Maple Corner Community Center, PO
Box 39, Calais, VT 05648; or by calling our toll-free number,
1-800-274.3927. The calendars are also on sale in select
stores throughout Vermont.
UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO THE INCREDIBLE DEMAND,
DELIVERY OF CALENDARS ORDERED AT THIS TIME CANNOT BE GUARANTEED BY
CHRISTMAS.
EVENTS
Orton Family
Foundation Fall Workshops for Planners
The Orton Family Foundation will present
three new workshops this fall for citizen planners and
professionals involved in community planning. The workshops
will focus on Community Design, Community Investment, and "Orton
Online," a Basic Planning Course Online. Partners
participating in the presentation of these workshops include the
Preservation Trust of Vermont, the Vermont Forum on Sprawl, and
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
"Orton Online:
Basic Planning for Citizen Planners,"
Available by January 1, 2002 at http://www.orton.org
The third workshop, "Orton Online:
Basic Planning for Citizen Planners," is an Internet course
developed with The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy of
Cambridge, Massachusetts. This online course, developed
with experienced Vermont planners, includes Vermont-specific
supplements to general planning information. It will be an
ideal tool for members of planning commissions, zoning boards,
selectboards, and interested citizens to educate themselves or
brush up on planning principles. This new Internet site
will enable users to determine their own learning path and pace,
to choose topics and lessons in any order, and repeat lessons as
often as needed. "Orton Online" will be
available by January 1, 2002 at www.orton.org.
For further information or to
register, please contact The Orton Family Foundation at (802)
773-6336 or online at http://www.orton.org,
or contact Martha Perkins at 802-425-5761 or perkins@together.net.
OPPORTUNITIES
Curator of Collections, Shelburne Farms
Shelburne Farms, a National Historic Landmark estate property and
environmental education organization, seeks a curator to manage
its three-dimensional and archival collections, including Gilded
Age furnishings, historic photographs, and estate records.
Responsibilities include interpreting the history of the property
and collections; developing collections policies and maintaining
collections records; answering research questions and providing
access to archival materials; managing rights and reproduction
requests; supervising volunteers and interns; grantwriting;
overseeing seasonal opening and closing activities; and
contracting for conservation of collections items. Qualified
candidates will have an M.A. in American history, museum studies,
or a related field, at least two years' experience managing
collections, preferably in a historic house setting, and the
ability to work independently. Applicants should send a
cover letter, resume, and references to: Erica Donnis,
Shelburne Farms, 1611 Harbor Road, Shelburne, VT 05482 or fax to
(802) 985-8123 by January 31, 2002. No telephone inquiries,
please.
Announcing Preservation Week 2002, May
12-18 and the second annual Preservation Week poster contest!
The theme of Preservation Week 2002 expands on the conference
theme, "The Spirit of Place." It's about more than
saving historic buildings. It's about embracing the many layers of
our past. From Native American archaeology to Atlanta's inner
neighborhoods, America's heritage belongs to everyone from all
walks of life. Celebrating the rich tapestry of America's past is
essential to ensuring its future - and Preservation Week is the
time for communities to show how they value the diversity that
make them unique.
The 2002 poster contest is officially underway!
The winning poster will become the National Trust's official
Preservation Week poster, and will be seen in displays and
celebrations across the nation. Last year, three winners and 10
honorable mentions were chosen from 145 entries nationwide. Any
school, nonprofit organization or state/local government is
eligible to compete in the contest.
The National Trust will award cash prizes of
$2,000, $1,500 and $1,000 to the top three winners. The deadline
for entries is Jan. 4, 2002, and the official poster will be
available in February.
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. meg@ptvermont.org
