HARDWICK – Last Thursday, The Civic Standard announced, “we closed on our new home at 39 S. Main St.! The purchase came after months of deliberation amongst Civic staff and our board of directors, and importantly, the generous contributions of early donors to our fundraising campaign.”
courtesy photo
The Civic Standard has occupied its present address, directly across the street from its new home, since 2022, when it was helped to begin operation when it received an ARPA grant from the Hardwick Select Board.
The Civic Standard has been creating events for everyone since its inception, offering live theater created for the Hardwick community and performed by local amateurs and free weekly meals. It has facilitated teenage collective organizing, held karaoke nights, mending circles and town-wide dances as it works to build a common culture.
Upcoming events on its calendar this week included a Death Cafe, Monday morning, Dungeons and Dragons that afternoon, its usual Wednesday supper at 5:30 p.m., followed by an old-time junket jam session, skateboarding at the fire station’s mini-ramp after school Friday and a Shut Up and Write group coming this Sunday morning at 10.
“Over the coming weeks and months, we’ll begin turning this new space into a home,” wrote The Civic Standard in the notice announcing its purchase of the building
“We’ll start with some cleaning, then take on the exciting challenge of renovating the kitchen and painting both the interior and exterior of the building. There’s also plenty of landscaping to be done at the back of the building, so stay tuned for details on a workday coming soon!”
Before the purchase, another message to area residents noted, “This milestone comes after countless conversations with all kinds of neighbors and local experts, from appraisers, to river scientists, to the kids who regularly stop by for popsicles. Every thoughtful idea shared over coffee or a community supper helped inform our decision to move.
“In this new building, we imagine family-style meals at long dining tables, more accessible live music performances, an upstairs café run by local teenagers after school, a year-round costume library, ample studio space for the creation of new shows, and on goes the list of dreams.
With your support we can fully realize our goal of blossoming into this new home, creating bolder and more expansive programming for years to come, and continuing to serve the citizens of Hardwick and our neighboring communities.”
The organization said it has created a New Home Fund, with a goal of raising $400,000, to cover costs that come with its move, including costs to prepare the space and monthly payments toward a Vermont Community Loan Fund mortgage.
They said they are already more than halfway to the goal.
Learn more about the new project and how to donate to the New Home Fund at thecivicstandard.org/a–new–home.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
