FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 25, 2019
CONTACT: Nate Formalarie, Communications Director
Agency of Commerce and Community Development
(802) 522-7323; nate.formalarie@vermont.gov
State Historic Preservation Grants Awarded to 14 Projects Across Vermont
MONTPELIER, Vt. – The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation and the Vermont Advisory Council on Historic Preservation are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2019 State Historic Preservation Grants. The grants totaling $212,982 were awarded to 14 municipalities and non-profit organizations, in 13 Vermont communities to repair and rehabilitate important historic buildings.
“Preserving historic sites starts at the local level so the grant recipients deserve recognition for their commitment to historic resources,” said Laura V. Trieschmann, Vermont State Historic Preservation Officer. “These grants enable investment that increases awareness of our heritage, educates the public about historic resources, and bolsters the economic growth of Vermont.”
Matching Historic Preservation Grants will help fund roof repairs to Ahavath Gerim Synagogue, Vermont’s oldest continuously occupied synagogue, located in Burlington’s Old North End and Grand Isle Lake House, an event and non-profit retreat center. Vermont Studio Center will replace the metal roof of Chesamore Hall, now called Barbara White Studios. This historic Italianate academy has provided a home for education in Johnson since 1866.
Other projects funded include comprehensive rehabilitation of the Duba Blacksmith Shop in Isle la Motte, as well as structural repairs at the Old Church Theater in Bradford, and Memorial Hall in Calais, constructed as a Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) memorial hall dedicated to the memory of Union veterans of the Civil War. Several window restoration projects will also be completed at Enosburg’s Masonic Hall, St. Andrew’s Episcopal church in St. Johnsbury, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Vergennes.
For a complete list of the projects awarded visit the Division’s website.
Established in 1986, the state-funded Historic Preservation Grant Program awards matching grants for building improvement projects that promote Vermont’s architectural heritage. Since its inception, the program has granted over $5 million in support of 550 historic building projects. To qualify, buildings must be listed in or are eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and work completed must conform to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. The program is highly competitive. In 2019, the Advisory Council reviewed 43 projects requesting over $650,000 in funding.
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The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation is part of the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD). ACCD’s mission is to help Vermonters improve their quality of life and build strong communities. ACCD accomplishes this mission by providing grants, technical assistance, and advocacy through three divisions: The Department of Economic Development, the Department of Tourism and Marketing, and the Department of Housing and Community Development.