STANNARD – With fewer than 200 residents, Stannard’s town center consists of a town hall across from a community-owned church, with no storefronts, yet in 2025 it saw historic preservation wins, forest conservation milestones, community gatherings and reminders of rural fire risk.
In late winter, Naturalists Robert Small and Emily Cayer worked with the Vermont Land Trust to protect approximately 269 acres of forest and wetlands along Steam Mill Brook near the Wildlife Management Area. The donation of a conservation easement ensured that the forestland, rich in habitat and streams feeding the Lamoille watershed, would remain protected in perpetuity for wildlife and future generations. “We’re fortunate to be stewards of this land now,” Cayer said, capturing the gratitude many feel for Stannard’s wild places.
The Blackbeard’s Freak Show Festival held at Vermont Freedom Campground from August 27 through September 1, was a multi-day gathering included music, art and performances that drew visitors and participants from well beyond the town’s boundaries.
As the festival wound down, sustainable living tours at Sky Meadow Retreat in mid-July brought visitors curious about intentional community living and rural resiliency.
In September the town learned that it was awarded a Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant of $75,000 to support restoration of the 1886 Stannard Church, the town’s most recognized historic structure. Select board member Jan Lewandoski explained that the money, awarded through the Preservation Trust of Vermont and supported by the National Park Service, will ensure structural repairs while preserving the church’s charm, from original windows to masonry work. “The Stannard Church … has neither electricity, plumbing, nor heat other than a wood stove,” Lewandoski told the Gazette, noting both its rarity and charm.
Each year, the church hosts weddings, memorial services, concerts and the Christmas-Solstice celebration.
In September and October, school and community calendars carried word of harvest gatherings, local hikes and autumn get-togethers.
On December 1, a structure fire on Hutchins Farm Road drew a regional response. Twelve fire departments battled the blaze in freezing conditions, contending with frozen hoses and limited rural water access.
The historic church restoration project, now funded and ready for architectural planning and stewardship, will have volunteers and the select board working through the winter on designs and plans for construction in spring and summer.
Community gatherings for the year will end with the Stannard Christmas Gathering, held at the town hall. Neighbors from near and far will share stories, music, food and renew old friendships.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
