MONTPELIER – The Vermont State Historic Preservation Office recently announced Curtains Without Borders (curtainswithoutborders.org) was honored with a Preservation Excellence award for its dedicated preservation of Vermont’s historic painted theater scenery. The Townshend Historical Society and Townshend Select Board were similarly honored for their preservation stewardship and ambitious rehabilitation efforts of the West Townshend Stone Arch Bridge.
photo courtesy Curtains Without Borders
In our area curtains at the Hardwick Town House and Craftsbury Town Hall have received curtain restoration work through Curtains without Borders.
“We are exceptionally proud to celebrate the Town of Townshend and Curtains Without Borders for their dedication to preserving our cultural heritage,” stated State Historic Preservation Officer Laura V. Trieschmann. “Their impactful work, preserving historic landmarks, educating the public, and sparking passion for our history through preservation, warrants recognition and provides a model for inspiration.”
Since 1996, Curtains Without Borders has led the documentation and preservation of historic painted stage scenery. Under Director Chris Hadsel and Conservator MJ Davis, a project once expected to find 25 curtains grew into a statewide survey identifying 190 pieces created between 1890 and 1940. By 2018, the team cleaned and stabilized every curtain in Vermont, most of which are now displayed in their original community venues.
Charles Henry (1850-1917) of Ferrisburg, painted a large pair of curtains in the Hardwick Town House in 1903 at a cost of $162.
photo courtesy Curtains Without Borders
The grand drape at 26’6″W x 17’6″H, was really too big for Henry’s capabilities. By 1990, it had numerous, large tears and it was taken to the Williamstown Regional Conservation Lab in Williamstown, Mass., to be conserved. The approach at that time was to treat it as a very large painting, so it was fully lined, but the result was that it could not roll up and down.
photo courtesy Curtains Without Borders
By 2003, there was more damage that was addressed by Curtains Without Borders, but it wasn’t until 2010 that special rigging was manufactured to allow it to roll most of the way up. Even so, the lined fabric is overly stressed and more work will have to be done in the future.
A street scene was found in the balcony, where people had just stepped on it for many years as they went to their seats. It is worn but works as a backdrop on the otherwise cavernous stage.
There were other curtains in the Town House, probably at least one interior and a country scene, but they have been lost.
photo courtesy Curtains Without Borders
A pair of Charles Henry (1850-1917) curtains are in the Craftsbury Town Hall. The second one is not the more common street scene but a garden as seen from a balcony. The grand drape has one of Henry’s stock images of the stag at evening time. Both curtains were conserved by Curtains Without Borders in 2009.
Recognized as one of America’s Treasures by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Curtains without Borders effort was funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, Save America’s Treasures grants, and the Vermont Legislature. Vermont’s pioneering work in saving these remembrances of village life has since evolved into a national movement.
The Division for Historic Preservation, part of the Department of Housing and Community Development (DCHD), is dedicated to identifying, preserving, and interpreting historic resources on behalf of the citizens of the state and promoting them as significant components of our communities. DHCD works to support vibrant and resilient communities, promote safe and affordable housing for all, protect the state’s historic resources, and improve the quality of life for Vermonters.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
