|
 |
|
|
PROPOSED COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PROJECTS
September, 2023
Adirondack Architectural Heritage, Inc.
1790 Main Street – Civic Center 312
Keeseville, New York 12944
Project Contact: Steven Engelhart
Telephone: 518-834-9328
E-Mail: steven@aarch.org
National Register Nominations. Adirondack Architectural Heritage is seeking assistance in preparing National Register nominations for the following buildings or districts. Individual or team projects. Funding for the projects may be available to pay for student travel.
• Estes House (Ausable Chasm, Essex County). This is an 1850s stone house that is now the home of the North Star Underground Railroad Museum, near the Ausable Chasm tourist center. http://www.northcountryundergroundrailroad.com/museum.php
• Ausable Chasm Historic District. A small company village that also includes the Ausable Chasm tourist center, a 1929 hydroelectric facility, and a 1920s motel.
• Keene Valley Historic District (Essex County). This is a village district with approximately twelve buildings. A draft statement of significance has already been prepared, and descriptions of the buildings are now required. Proposed expansion of the district has created a potential obstacle.
• Libraries of the North Country. This would be a thematic nomination of ten or twelve historic library buildings. The public community libraries of the ten county area collectively known as the North Country, share a similar cultural and architectural heritage.
These institutions grow out of a common community desire to foster education and intellectual curiosity and in most cases the distinctive architecture of these libraries reflects the importance of libraries in the community fabric. The purpose of the nomination is to elevate the status of these public libraries within the community and to give the institutions access to new sources of conservation funding for their preservation and restoration. The scope of work consists of undertaking all necessary historical research, site work, photography, and writing to prepare a National Register nomination form in accordance with the appropriate National Register Bulletin(s). Funding is pending.
• Crown Point Green Historic District. This is a small district in Crown Point (Essex County).
• Westport District. This project involves the completion of a nomination for a large historic district in the southern part of Westport (Essex County) that includes a lot of open space, farms, and other historic resources. Much has been done already by Bill Johnston, and remaining work involves photography, building descriptions, and organizing the nomination into final form. A team of two students is needed to organize and present existing material.
Burlington Planning Department
Burlington City Hall
Mary O’Neil, Associate Planner
Telephone: 802-865-7556
E-Mail: MCOneil@burlingtonvt.gov
or
Cindi Wight, MR, CPRE
Director
Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront
645 Pine Street Suite B, Burlington, VT 05401
Direct Line: (802) 865-7557
Pine St. Office: (802) 865-7247
Research Project. Burlington had a number of social-service institutions that either no longer exist or have been transformed into something else, including the Home for Destitute Children, the Home for Friendless Women, and the City Poor Farm. All of these institutions were housed in significant buildings, and research is needed to develop the historic context for these buildings. Individual project.
Old North End Surveys. The Historic Sites and Structures Survey information for Burlington’s Old North End is incomplete. Some surveys list only representative examples, and some streets are only surveyed on one side. Vermont’s Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation would like us to move toward a general historic district of the Old North End. Ideally, we could break this area up into quadrants for a COMPREHENSIVE re-survey and compilation of work done by many. Maps are available for these districts, which represent the city’s highest priorities. Teams of two.
• Resurvey of Old North End. Northeast quadrant: East of Elmwood Avenue, North of North Street, West of North Willard Street.
• Resurvey of Old North End. Northwest quadrant: West of Elmwood Avenue, North of North Street.
• Resurvey of Old North End. Southeast quadrant: South of North Street, west of North Willard, North of Pearl and East of Elmwood Ave.
• Resurvey of Old North End. Southwest quadrant: South of North St., West of Elmwood Avenue, North of Pearl.
Town of Croghan, New York
c/o Laurie Halladay
Town Historian
Email: CroghanHistorian@centralny.twbc.com
Railroad Survey / National Register Nomination. The Lowville and Beaver River Railroad is a ten-mile short-line linking Croghan with Lowville in New York’s Lewis County. The railroad was created in the early 1900s and probably opened in 1906. Presently the railroad joins four communities: Croghan, Beaver Falls, New Bremen, and Lowville, and numerous historic resources associated with the rail corridor are extant, including metal truss bridges, passenger stations, train turntables, and other assorted rail infrastructure. Town residents who are members of the Railroad Society of Northern New York are interested in preparing a National Register nomination to protect the railroad line from intrusive alterations. Establishing a reliable survey of resources is an essential first step to that nomination, and an early, preliminary report by the New York SHPO identified about forty resources, including numerous culverts. The towns have a limited budget, and grant writing will depend heavily on an accurate sites and structures survey
Heritage corridors have enormous potential for generating active interest in protecting historic resources among diverse constituencies of users across an expansive region, and the project also offers an exciting opportunity to gain experience conducting surveys of historic sites and structures. Templates for that type of survey are available at the Vermont Agency of Transportation. This will be a team project and will necessitate travel. Hopefully the town will be able to provide reimbursement of travel and other out-of-pocket expenses. Team Project-Minimum of Four
Ferrisburgh Historical Society
c/o Jean Richardson
710 Old Hollow Road
North Ferrisburgh, VT 05473
jeanrichardson43@comcast.net
802-425-3733
Historic Building Report. For many years, the Ferrisburgh Historical Society has been working to preserve the Union Meeting House and its important site. Fund raising efforts continue, as does the need to provide additional information about the building and its contributions to the town and to Vermont, including connections to Frederick Douglas and to the Ferrisburgh Town Hall that once stood on the same site. Links to nearby Rokeby Museum, a potential partner, are also noteworthy. An 1995 report prepared by the University of Vermont Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, in collaboration with the Preservation Trust of Vermont, is available as a starting point. The research hopefully will make use of Burlington’s scanned newspapers. Individual project.
Historic Windsor and the Preservation Education Institute
54 Main Street
P.O. Box 21
Windsor, Vermont 05089
Project Contact: Judy Hayward, Executive Director
Tel: 802-674-6752
E-Mail: histwininc@valley.net
Web Site Design. The Preservation Education Institute is in the process of expanding its web site to accommodate videos and strengthen links to curriculum and workshops sponsored by the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. Familiarity with Squarespace web site builder is desirable.
Huntington Historical and Community Trust
Old Firehouse Sub-Committee.
c/o Lisa Loomis
boegelisa@gmail.com
Historic Building Report. Residents of Huntington are trying to preserve the oldest existing public building in the town and develop a plan for its sustainable use. The structure was built in 1841 as a Baptist church by followers of Charles Bowles, a prominent African American Freewill Baptist minister in New England during the first half of the nineteenth century. By 1866, use of the building for religious purposes had declined, and that year members donated the church to the community as Huntington’s first Town Meeting Hall. The building functioned as a meeting hall for more than eighty years, but in 1948 the town renovated the building and converted it to use as the community’s first volunteer fire department. However, in 1993 the town vacated the building following construction of a new fire house, and the building has been vacant ever since. Members of the community trust hope that additional information about the building will be found in the diaries of James Johns, a prolific Huntington writer during the 1800s who authored commentary for the town’s newspaper, short stories, and poetry. Johns’ archives are held in Special Collections at UVM’s Howe Library and at the Vermont Historical Society in Barre. Individual Project
Jericho Underhill Land Trust Project
c/o Michael N. Lazorchak
Manager Regulatory Affairs
Stowe Electric Department
PO Box 190
Stowe, VT 05672
Telephone: 802.253.7215
Email: mlazorchak@stoweelectric.com
Historic Resource Report. The Jericho-Underhill Land Trust owns a parcel of land in Jericho, called Riverside Meadow, that is associated with settlement of the Browns River and Browns Trace areas in 1744, and the site includes the remnants of an historic cabin. The land trust has been engaged in conservation efforts for the site and trust archives contain a substantial body of information related to that settlement. The trust would like to identify topics of interest that would lead to successful interpretation, community outreach, and grant writing for the historic site, and would also lead to greater interest among younger generations in the two towns. Individual Project.
Landmark Trust USA
Susan McMahon
Executive Director
https://landmarktrustusa.org
smcmahon@landmarktrustusa.org
802.257.7783
Social History of the Kipling Carriage House (1893), Dummerston, VT. The two-story wood frame carriage house was built adjacent to Rudyard Kipling’s Naulakha and restored by The Landmark Trust USA in 1993. The plan of the building included an enclosed bay for carriages and living quarters for the family of Matthew Howard, the Kiplings’ groom and chauffeur. Horses were stabled in a separate building nearby.
The goal of this project is to develop a detailed social history of the initial occupants of the carriage house and their relation to the Kipling family and the greater Brattleboro community. The process will entail research in primary sources and the investigation of historic building fabric. The project will also document subsequent uses and occupancies and suggest areas for further research and interpretation. Team of two.
National Register Nomination for the Amos Brown House, Whitingham, VT (1802).
The 1-1/2 story Federal-style brick house was the center of a hilltop farm and is a good example of the extended farmhouse style common in northern New England. The house was originally built for Amos and Sally Brown and the farm remained active until the 1930s. In the mid-20th century the house was occupied by the Order of Carthusian monks and later donated to the Whitingham Historical Society. The Landmark Trust USA acquired the property in 2000 and restored it in 2003.
The goal of this project is to nominate the Amos Brown House and surrounding property to the National Register of Historic Places under Criteria A (History), C (Architecture) and D (Archaeology). The process will include detailed documentation of the existing building complex as well as research in primary and secondary sources. The resulting nomination will enhance interpretation of the house and provide guidance for future repair and restoration. Team of two.
National Register Nomination, Lydia Smith Baker Essex Library, Tiverton, RI (1938). Built with funds from a bequest by Lydia B. Essex, a former school teacher and summer resident of Tiverton, in memory of her mother Lydia Smith Baker Essex. Recently acquired by the Landmark Trust. Team of two.
Massachusetts Historical Commission
Secretary of the Commonwealth
220 Morrissey Boulevard
Boston, MA 02125-3314
c/o Benjamin Haley
benjamin.w.d.haley@gmail.com
Town Survey Project. A number of towns in western Massachusetts lack adequate surveys of historic sites and structures, mostly located in the four westernmost counties. Although the project requires travel, it will be possible to select a town and calculate a manageable number of survey forms for a semester. With substantial resources available online, some of the travel could be minimized. Survey work is excellent experience and with strengthen employment applications. Individual project or team of two.
Mt. Holly Community Historical Museum
c/o Robin Eatmon
Kelly Real Estate robin@kelleyrealestate.com
or Lori Doolittle
802-228-4536
Project: A small but active community non-profit organization developed a fund raising campaign to restore a building that now provides a fine community resource for the local school and the region. The next step is to organize, display, and interpret artifacts related to the building and community. Specific details of running a museum need to be
addressed, including accessioning, website maintenance, and proper storage of artifacts. The museum website is currently not working but some details can be found on the Mt. Holly, Vermont website. Individual project or team of two.
New Hampshire Preservation Alliance
7 Eagle Square
Post Office Box 268
Concord, New Hampshire 03302
Project Contact: Jennifer Goodman, Executive Director
Telephone: 603-224-2281 / jg@nhpreservation.org.
The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance is the statewide non-profit historic preservation organization. The graduate student(s) engaged in the following projects will report to the organization's executive director, Jennifer Goodman, who has extensive experience working with students and other volunteers. Projects will be designed to meet our mutual objectives and result in useful products. Projects are central to our mission and work plan, and they will advance the cause of preservation in New Hampshire. With exception of survey fieldwork, or meetings at the Alliance's office with staff or to review files, tasks can be accomplished largely from any "home base."
Historic Barn Preservation Project: Survey and Public Policy Tasks. The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance is currently providing technical and financial assistance to barn owners trying to save, stabilize, or re-use historic agricultural structures. This project is designed to help reduce the loss of these significant and rapidly disappearing landmarks in New Hampshire and to promote historic preservation objectives and the goals of the Preservation Alliance. This program draws heavily from similar efforts in Vermont. The project will involve document the existing and lost (as possible) barns in a New Hampshire town (to be selected) to create a model for a current statewide survey efforts. Work will include preparing a much-needed fact sheet from the survey findings that can be used for advocacy and fundraising work. In addition, it will assist the project committee in exploring how agricultural buildings are taxed and in developing a pro-preservation administrative or legislative proposal to address current problems. The development of educational and promotional programs for historic barn owners and contractors is also necessary. Students will work with the Historic Barn Advisory Group, staffed by leaders in agriculture, tourism, and preservation, as well as members of historical societies, heritage commissions and other local leaders. Individual project or team of two
Old East End Neighborhood Coalition and
Preservation Burlington
Project contacts:
David Cawley, dcawley@me.com
Jason Stuffle, jason.stuffle@gmail.com
or visit: https://www.facebook.com/OldEastEnd/
The Old East End Neighborhood Coalition hopes to develop a history tour of the Old East End, and the project requires both research and tour development. The carefully developed proposal document is in PDF format. The Old East End is a Burlington neighborhood that dates to the late 1700s when the Winooski Falls became the focus for settlement and mills. As the industry and housing grew, so did the neighborhood, and the road that became Colchester Avenue served as the link to the Burlington Bay side of the city and a major link to Canada. Today, the Old East End encompasses the homes and businesses east of East Avenue to the Winooski River, with over 200 dwellings, historic homes, a neighborhood park, extensive natural areas, an historic graveyard, and a minor-league baseball stadium.
The Old East End Neighborhood Coalition (OEENC) was formed in 2018 to preserve history, create safe streets, and to building community. OEENC is seeking to partner with Preservation Burlington, the UVM Office of Student and Community Relations, and other organizations to develop the tour, and to identify the people, places, and events associated with this unique community. Team of two.
Preservation Burlington
c/o Gweneth Langdon
gwenethaline@gmail.com
Preservation Burlington is considering ways to convert some of its programs to virtual format. The project is in its very early stages, but members are interested in taking suggestions for ways to develop the project.
Preservation Trust of Vermont
104 Church Street
Burlington, VT 05401
Project Contact: Eric Gilbertson
Tel.: (802) 272-8543
E-Mail: eric@ptvermont.org
Historic Preservation Study. In 1976, the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation received a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to repair or restore buildings near a proposed Bicentennial Rail loop through twenty-one towns in Vermont, from St Albans to Brattleboro and Bennington. The Division put out a request for program proposals from each town with stations along the loop. Twenty towns responded and completed studies of buildings, including suggestions for repairing and restoring buildings, or reversing inappropriate changes that had occurred over the years. Some of the studies also emphasized modifications that would improve design compatibility without the expense of full restorations. More than 100 buildings received grants for work ranging from removal of aluminum siding, to restoring commercial bay windows such as those on the building located at the corner of State and Main Streets in Montpelier, to simple painting and carpentry repairs. The EDA funding also enabled VDHP to hire a consultant to photograph all of the projects (slide format) and to document the economically beneficial aspects of the projects. The slides are currently held by the Vermont Historical Society. The records of those projects offer a unique opportunity to study, analyze and document, then and now, a finite set of buildings that were the object of preservation efforts more than forty years ago, with the goal of advancing future preservation efforts. Individual project or team of two.
Rokeby Museum
Route 7
Ferrisburg, Vermont 05456
Project Contact: Lindsay Varner, Director
director@rokeby.org
802-877-3406
HABS-Type Documentation. The outbuildings at Rokeby lack the type of documentation that would be needed should any of the buildings be destroyed by fire or other cause. Documentation of a single building would qualify as one project and should include proper photography, measured drawings, written description, and narrative history of the building. Individual project.
Historic Structures Report. The Pate House at 86-90 Archibald Street in Burlington likely represents a series of houses joined together. At least as early as 1930 the building served as a guest home and was listed in a traveler's book for people of color that year, offering thirty-six modern rooms. Cleta Pate (from the Philippines) managed the business, and her husband, Frank Pate, a former soldier from Buffalo, managed a construction business and advertised house-moving services, thus hinting at the origins of some portions of the building. Elise Guyette, author of Discovering Black Vermont: African American Farmers in Hinesburgh, 1790-1890, with a foreword by Emily Bernard: https://vermonthistory.org/discovering-black-vermont, has conducted extensive research regarding the Pate family and people of color who stayed at the house, including members of a Black baseball team. However, more information is needed about the likely evolution of the building’s constituent parts. Individual Project. Project Contacts: Lindsay Varner, Director and Elise Guyette, Member Board of Trustees
E-Mail: Eguy949@gmail.com
St. Peter's Episcopal Mission
16 Elm St.,
Lyndonville, Vermont 05851
Project Contact: Sally Fishburn
safishburn@gmail.com
National Register Nomination. Sally Fishburn has been working with church officials to help restore this 1890s church, designed by Henry Vaughan, supervising architect of the Washington National Cathedral, and constructed to serve railroad workers. St. Peter’s houses the Lyndon Area Food Shelf and hosts monthly community luncheons. Individual project.
Swanton Village
c/o Ron Kilburn, Zoning Administrator and
President, Swanton Historical Society
P.O. Box 711
Swanton, Vermont 05488
802-868-3325
swanza@adelphia.net
National Register Nomination – Swanton Railroad Depot. This building has been relocated and rehabilitated with funding obtained through the Enhancements Program at the Vermont Agency of Transportation, and is now part of the town’s historic sites interpretive center. Individual project.
Report and DVD: Historic Bridges of Swanton. Swanton’s history is closely tied to the Missisquoi River, and a large number of important bridges are vital parts of that history. The historical society has proposed a project to document these many bridges, telling the story of the role these bridges have played in the town’s industrial and transportation history. The written report will be accompanied by a DVD. Individual project.
Vermont Division for Historic Preservation
National Life Building
Drawer 20
Montpelier, Vermont 05602-6501
Project Contact: Devin Colman or Caitlin Corkins
Telephone: 802-828-3046; e-mail: Devin.Colman@vermont.gov and Caitlin.Corkins@vermont.gov
Vulnerable Barns Poster. Similar to the Vulnerable Vermont poster by UVM preservation students. Individual project or team of two.
Condition Assessments. The Galick Farm, owned by the Nature Conservancy, is located in one of the most isolated parts of Vermont, a peninsula surrounded by Lake Champlain and the Poultney River. It is one of the very few places where rattlesnakes are found and the only place in Vermont where there are lizards. The site is also rich with archeological significance, with some 11,000 year old artifacts found just a few years ago. The farm is a relatively intact collection of outbuildings and a 1918 farmhouse, built by a wealthy New York investor just before the crash. The buildings, ranging from c.1830-1930, are outstanding examples and include dairy barns, granary, sheep barns, machine shop, woodworking/gun shop, welding shops, field barn, all with beautiful slate roofs. Because the owner’s main organizational mission is to protect the ecological significance, the barns are in danger of coming down, either by machines or a heavy snow load. Individual project or team project. An assessment by Charlie Parker in 1995 is available.
Multiple Property Nominations - National Register of Historic Places. The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation has identified topics for which historic contexts must be developed before multiple property nominations can be prepared. These topics include granges, post offices, hospitals, libraries, theaters and opera houses, airport facilities, gas stations, motor courts and motels, commercial ski areas, general stores, and the World War 2 Homefront in Vermont. Team of two or three
Research Project - Brick Cape Cod and Classic Cottages in East Montpelier. There are at least eight of these houses in the town – some are simple Cape Cod type buildings and others are more high-style Classic Cottages. Survey forms prepared by VDHP note the collection of houses and some relationship to the granite industry and a builder named Nye. Beyond that, not much is known. The initial stages of this research project would involve map and deed research, physical inspection, and consultation with the East Montpelier Historical Society to determine more about the origins of the buildings, where the bricks were manufactured, and information about the builder. The research will hopefully lead to an MPDF nomination. Individual project or team of two.
National Register Nomination: Burnham Hall, Lincoln. A Colonial Revival-style community center built in 1920 (celebrating its centennial this year).
National Register Nomination: “Spirit of the American Doughboy” statue, Enosburg Falls.
National Register Nomination. The congregation of the Montgomery United Methodist Church hope to list their building in the National Register. It’s listed in the State Register as part of the Montgomery Village Historic District, and would qualify as an individual NR nomination. The church is a transitional Federal/Greek Revival brick building constructed c. 1844; Queen Anne style windows were installed c. 1890. The nomination will be developed under the Religious Properties of Vermont MPDF.
National Register Nomination. The congregation of the Methodist Church in Wolcott hope to list the building, a late example of Greek Revival (1856), on the National Register of Historic Places. The congregation was organized by the first African-American, Methodist minister in Vermont, who was born in Newport, Rhode Island and served as a missionary to Liberia before founding this congregation in Wolcott.
National Register Nomination. Washington Unitarian Universalist Congregation. The historic Unitarian Universalist Church in Washington, VT was built circa 1850 and is part of the Washington Village Historic District, which was listed on the State Register of Historic Places on September 15, 1989. As described, the post and beam frame of this church rests on massive granite slabs. One story plus attic and steeple. Built in the Greek Revival style, this structure retains the exterior appearance of a typical Greek Revival church, with a classically detailed entrance, corner pilasters, fully articulated entablature and pediment. Originally this church had two entrances on the west façade, one for women and one for men. This was changed when the interior was remodeled in 1898-99. The interior was completely remodeled with funds donated by Quincy Calef. Matchboard paneling was used throughout the interior, including the sacristy chamber walls and ceiling (which arches toward the center). The light afforded by the numerous stained-glass windows that were donated for the church from 1894-1898 gives the sacristy a golden hue.
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Washington, VT is a summer-only, lay-led congregation, offering Sunday services throughout the summer at 10 a.m., followed by a potluck. The community, like many others, struggles to keep the facility in good condition. Although in relatively overall good shape, the building is in need of maintenance such as exterior painting, enhanced steeple support, etc. While the community is as generous as they are able to in pledging and giving, members need to increase fundraising efforts and plan to apply for grants from various sources. In addition to preserving this cultural and architectural treasure by listing it on the National Register of Historic Places, it will also help us in preparing grant applications to secure funding for the upkeep and maintenance of the building.
Project Contacts:
Sue Stukey, Board President
Email: susan.stukey@gmail.com
Phone: 802-223-4189
Katharina Mack, Board Secretary
Email: katmack@gmail.com
Phone: 802-883-2399
Vermont Historic Bridge Program, Vermont Agency of Transportation
National Life Building
Montpelier, Vermont 05602-6501
Project Contacts: Bob McCullough
Kyle Obenauer. Kyle.Obenauer@vermont.gov
National Register Nomination. Barton in Orleans County, once a center of granite production, is the site of what may be the state’s last granite slab bridge on Elm Street. Constructed circa 1901 by Joseph Barton, the bridge was erected with enormous granite blocks as stringers, resting on granite piers. All the granite was quarried locally. The bridge is threatened with replacement, and efforts to draw attention to its unique design may help convince local officials to preserve the structure. The nomination should also investigate the contributions of Joseph Barton, who built several other bridges of this type, none of which survive. Individual project.
Vermont Urban and Community Forest Council
Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation
103 South Main Street, Building 10 South
Waterbury, Vermont 05671-0601
Project Contact: Danielle Fitzko
802-241-3678
danielle.fitzko@anr.state.vt.us
Self-Guided Architectural / Urban Forest Tours. This project will combine walking tours emphasizing architectural history with similar tours designed to identify urban tree species. The Urban and Community Forestry Council will serve as the project sponsor and coordinate with Vermont towns interested in obtaining tour maps and brochures. The council may also identify participating parties to develop the information about tree species. Alternatively, students may be able to collaborate with students from the University of Vermont's field botany program. Projects will involve the survey of a selected town's architectural resources, identification of a tour route, short written paragraphs about buildings included on the tour, and preparation of a map. Sample pamphlet is available for inspection. The towns of Rutland, Chelsea, Hinesburg and Shelburne have completed similar projects. Students may also work with city foresters in certain communities. Individual project or team of two (with student from the School of Natural Resources)
Wheelock Town Hall
c/o Ann Lawless
36 Red Schoolhouse Road
Lyndonville VT 05851
802-626-3109
alawless@vtlink.net
Adaptive Use Study. Residents of Wheelock are considering accessibility solutions for Wheelock Town Hall. It's not easy; the town is divided, and bond votes have been shot down by close margins. So, town is starting over and has obtained a Municipal Planning Grant and some smaller grants to match it. The town will hire an architect and an outreach professional, and the consultants will have three tasks: two different concept studies for the Town Hall, one a rehabilitation, the other a new building. The third task is to provide a location on the campus where a new town garage could be located, providing traffic circulation, parking, and space for a mound septic system that we will likely need. A recent survey revealed that some voters think the current 1871 building is just a money pit and should be sold, rented, torn down, torched by the fire department. However, no adaptive re-use alternatives have been identified. There are no other organizations in town with capacity to take on the building, such as a library, historical society. This project would draw from your economics development course materials and would focus on adaptive use alternatives. Individual project or team of two.
North Star Community Hall
(formerly the Champlain Club and Goethe Lodge No. 592)
20 Crowley Street
Burlington, VT
Project Contact: Charlotte Barrett
Field Services
Preservation Trust of Vermont
90 Main Street, Suite 304
Montpelier, VT 05602
(802) 335-9008
charlotte@ptvermont.org
www.ptvermont.org
National Register Nomination. North Star Community Hall is a nonprofit community space in Burlington’s Old North End for performances, dances, rehearsals, trainings, meetings, socializing, games, celebrations, and more, established in 1896. The building is home to one of the few remaining wood-floor ballrooms, recently restored, in Burlington. Originally named Goethe Lodge #592, the hall was constructed in 1895 as a social and ‘benevolent’ club in what was then a thriving German immigrant community clustered along North Avenue in Burlington. Today, the Old North End is home to new Americans from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Nepal, China, Ukraine, Vietnam, Congo, Somalia, Canada, the United Kingdom. As a place for social events and dance, the building is fulfilling and expanding a 128-year tradition and is home to a wide range of dance communities offering social dances and lessons including Lindy Hoppers, West Coast Swing, Jeh Kulu African Dance, Salsa, English Country, and Ballroom dancers. A piano teacher holds lessons for children in the afternoons. Neighbors and community members gather at the hall for celebrations and potlucks. Prior to the pandemic, two board game groups (one an ASL group) met regularly in the space. The UVM Historic Preservation Alumni Association has often held annual, end-of-the-year gatherings at the hall.