New improvements are headed to some old Vermont landmarks, thanks to more than $300,000 in historic preservation grants.
Gov. Phil Scott, alongside the Vermont Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, has announced a total of $321,363 in grants to 20 municipalities and nonprofit organizations around the state.
“It has such a big impact in communities all over the state,” said Caitlin Corkins, grants coordinator at the Division for Historic Preservation. “These are buildings that are really treasured by their communities.”
The grants, announced Jan. 26, will go toward preservation and restoration of historic entities and buildings in six of Vermont’s 14 counties at such places as the Enosburgh Historical Society in Enosburg Falls, the Sanborn Covered Bridge in Lyndon and the water tower at Fort Ethan Allen in Essex.
“Investing in the preservation of Vermont’s history strengthens our communities and the character of our state,” Scott said in the announcement. “Just as importantly, we are putting people to work restoring our past and creating new opportunities for the next generation of Vermonters.”
One of the biggest factors in allocating the money is public benefit, according to Corkins. Several buildings receiving grants are not only landmarks of Vermont’s character, but also active foundations of their communities today, such as the Fletcher Free Library in Burlington, which received $20,000.
The grant money, plus funding from recently retired Sen. Patrick Leahy’s Congressional Directed Spending request, will go toward repairing the exterior of the 1904 building, according to library director Mary Danko.
“I just think it’s one of the most beautiful buildings we have here in Burlington,” Danko said of the library. “So, part of that is maintaining it, so these grants that help us to do this kind of maintenance are just so important.”
Individual grants range from $5,360 to $20,000. Typically, the Division for Historic Preservation receives 40 to 50 applications for grant funding, and is able to award money to between one-third and one-half of the applicants.
However this year, the grant money, which is funded through the Capital Budget, increased from a $200,000 cap to $300,000, according to Corkins.
Since Historic Preservation Grants were introduced in 1986, the program has awarded more than $6 million to over 600 historic projects in the state, according to the Jan. 26 announcement.
Essex water tower
This year, $20,000 of the funding is headed toward improvements on the water tower at Fort Ethan Allen in Essex. The tower was built in 1893, according to Ann Gray, treasurer of the Essex Historical Society.
The town of Essex has been working with the Historical Society since 2016 to get funding for the water tower. The money will be directed to roof repairs on the tower, according to Gray.
The Essex Historic Society has more plans for the water tower, to eventually include the return of public access to the landmark.
Prior to its closure in 2009, the tower opened to the public on a couple of annual occasions, but with these repairs, Essex hopes to expand beyond that. The Historical Society has been discussing opening the tower to scout troops and school groups once repairs are complete, according to Gray.
These 20 older Vermont buildings and landmarks aren’t simply preserving Vermont’s history, but are also continuing to provide community spaces, something that the Division for Historic Preservation emphasizes in the program.
“These are the places that sort of make you think of Vermont, make you think of community and they really draw people together,” Corkins said.