The Orleans County contingent set up its displays at one end of the cavernous breeding barn at Shelburne Farms. Seated facing away from the camera is Wayne French of Westmore, above him can be glimpsed Jack Sumberg, director of the Old Stone House Museum. In the center of the photograph, Westmore’s Nancy French speaks with Greensboro Historical Society member Nancy Hill. All attended the celebration of the Preservation Trust of Vermont’s twenty-fifth anniversary. Photos by Joseph Gresser
SHELBURNE — It is said that God helps those who help themselves. The founders of the Preservation Trust of Vermont (PTV) evidently figured the deity’s policy was good enough them. For the past 25 years PTV has assisted local people who care about important buildings in their communities to preserve them for present and future use.
Their silver anniversary celebration, accordingly, was designed to showcase the many small successes engendered by the PTV.
On Saturday the 375-foot-long breeding barn at Shelburne Farms was filled with tables bearing displays, some slickly produced, some neatly homemade, that told of restored libraries, churches, schoolhouses, and stores.
People roamed from table to table swapping stories about their towns’ projects and sharing information about funding resources.
Maybe because most participants were allowed to choose the places they wanted to set up their displays, the Orleans County contingent tended to cluster at one end of the enormous structure.
Wayne and Nancy French from Westmore showed off work done on the town hall and the Westmore Community Church. The two buildings were marked on a map that, not incidentally, showed the town’s location.
“People ask ‘Where’s Westmore,’” Ms. French said. “We say, do you know where Lake Willoughby is?” They always say ‘Yes’ and we tell them Willoughby is in the very center of Westmore.”
Mr. French told how Ann Cousins, a PTV community outreach worker, came to check up on progress on the town hall. Ms. Cousin noticed a sign marking contributions to the church restoration fund.
“She saw the thermometer on the church, and said ‘I think we can help you,’” Mr. French said. “The rest is history.”
At the next table Alicia Marcotte and Stephanie Hockensmith were trying to bring attention to the Brownington Village Congregational Church.
“We’re the only Congregational church in Vermont that is still heated by a wood stove,” said Ms. Marcotte.
“We need a flush toilet more than a wood stove,” chimed in Ms. Hockensmith.
The Brownington residents hope to raise enough to replace the wood stove with a more effective heat source and install running water.
Another Brownington organization, the Old Stone House Museum, was represented by its director Jack Sumberg. His exhibit showed off the museum’s ever-increasing collection of buildings.
Mr. Sumberg, who is finishing his first year in the job, reflected on one of the pleasures of the occupation.
“I like to show people around the building,” he said. “I’ve learned to save the best for last, and I finish with the furred trout. I told one person that
Preservation Trust Executive Director Paul Bruhn is embarrassed as a tribute from his former boss Senator Patrick Leahy is read. Mr. Bruhn responded to Mr. Leahy’s fulsome praise by declaring the senator “another politician who exaggerates and uses hyperbole.”
it’s extinct. He said he thought it has always been extinct.”
Across the way was the Greensboro contingent. The PTV has helped to restore the old high school, the Greensboro United Church, and the Greensboro Early Learning Center in Greensboro Bend. Right now the Greensboro Historical Society is working plans to expand exhibit space in their headquarters, the old library building next door to Willey’s Store, said Nancy Hill.
Ms. Hill said the society has yet to decide whether it wants to add on to the building or simply rearrange the floor plan.
Eric Remick, of the learning center, said his group’s building renovation project is moving into its final stages as the center seeks funding to restore its windows.
A group of Barton residents stood by a pillar embellished with pictures of the memorial building, past and present. They have completed portions of the building and have a list of other projects that will be undertaken as the money becomes available.
Roger Shaffer showed off one of the chandeliers that originally hung in the auditorium and spoke of plans to rehang them when the sprinkler system is installed and the ceiling is completed. Presently though, efforts are focused on building a cocoon area in the front of the theater to protect emergency exits in case of a fire.
He looks forward to putting in a new sound and lighting booth and the distant day when there will be equipment to control.
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line and Stanstead, Quebec, displayed the work done on that uniquely international resource, which included the installation of a tower to house fire stairs.
In addition to the organizations that carried their displays across the state, the PTV has, over the past four years, assisted projects in Irasburg, Craftsbury, Albany, Glover, and Newport.
The work of the local people who cared enough for their heritage to do the hard work necessary for its preservation was praised by former National Parks Director and author Roger Kennedy.
“What historic preservation is about,” Mr. Kennedy said, “is finding ourselves.”
He compared the work of caring community members to “the forces of greed.”
“We say to the forces of greed, ‘Don’t count me… I’m bigger and better than that,’” Mr. Kennedy said. “We say ‘Count on me’ to our neighbor.”
He praised Vermonters’ refusal to be homogenized.
The work of the PTV was also lauded by Congressman Bernie Sanders, who made a flying visit to the birthday celebration.
Bernie pointed out that PTV was not interested in merely keeping buildings standing but worked to keep historic buildings at the center of community life.
At the end of the afternoon exhibits were dismantled and repacked as the celebrators headed to the coach barn for a reception.
Food, drink, and conversation were plentiful until all were summoned to the courtyard for the day’s last event.
It was only then that PTV Founder and Executive Director Paul Bruhn allowed himself to be dragged into the spotlight to have his 25 years of service to Vermont historical places recognized.
Chuck Ross, a friend of Mr. Bruhn and staffer to Senator Patrick Leahy, spoke of Mr. Bruhn’s role as Mr. Leahy’s first campaign manager and chief of staff before reading a tribute inserted into the Congressional Record by Mr. Leahy.
“There is hardly a nook or cranny, village, or gore throughout Vermont that has not felt the touch of Paul and the Preservation Trust of Vermont,” Mr. Leahy wrote. “Whether through a small Preservation Trust grant for the refinishing of a church tower, or through a multimillion dollar campaign led by Paul and the talented people he works with, every corner of the state from Burke to Bennington has benefited from Paul’s community- and consensus-building.”
During the tributes Mr. Bruhn stood leaning against a brick wall, his face as red as the brick in embarrassment. He took the microphone to pronounce Mr. Leahy “another politician who exaggerates and uses hyperbole,” before going on to deflect the praise to people throughout the state who care about their communities.
In a short interview after the ceremony Mr. Bruhn said the PTV has a “pretty deep connection in Orleans County. Over time we’ve given over a million dollars, some early seed money and lot in partnership with the Freeman Foundation.
“We depended on local energy and passion and commitment from Bloomfield to the Haskell.
“All of Vermont is pretty fragile these days,” Mr. Bruhn said, “and we’ve got to learn how to be good stewards and make sure that the Vermont we love is there for future generations.
“That doesn’t mean we don’t grow, it doesn’t mean we don’t change,” he said.
After Mr. Bruhn spoke, a group of PTV staffers and friends took the stage to complete the project of embarrassing him with praise. They sang a medley of tunes with new words reflecting the priorities of Mr. Bruhn and the PTV.
The last, sung to the tune of “There’s a Place For Us” from West Side Story, envisioned a retail establishment located downtown, with fair prices and quality merchandise, friends and neighbors all will shop, the ad hoc chorus warbled at Paul-Mart.
