STANNARD – The Preservation Trust of Vermont (PTV) announced recently a Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grant of $75,000 to the Town of Stannard for the preservation of the Stannard Church.
“The Stannard Church, built in 1886, is the most iconic and architecturally significant of the Town’s three public buildings. The Town of Stannard acquired the Church from the Methodist Conference in 1985 and has been carefully maintaining and preserving it since. The Bruhn Grant from the Preservation Trust of Vermont will be very important in helping the Town of barely 200 residents accomplish this work,” said Jan Lewandoski, Stannard Select Board member. “This Gothic Revival, polychrome structure in its rural setting, has been featured in numerous books and articles, such as the Fall 1983 issue of Smithsonian Magazine. It has neither electricity, plumbing, nor heat other than a wood stove, and is one of the few buildings in unaltered original condition. The Stannard Church, in a typical year will be the site of two or three weddings, a memorial service, a music concert and a Christmas-Solstice celebration,”
courtesy photo
“Investing in Vermont’s historic buildings is just as much about investing in people, the volunteers from places like West Fairlee or Sudbury who understand that preserving a historic library or meeting house also means preserving a community’s future,” said Ben Doyle, PTV president. “PTV congratulates the people behind these exceptional preservation projects, and we thank our congressional delegation for their strong support of the National Park Service Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant program.”
The Stannard Church Restoration project and the Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant program is supported by the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service (NPS), Department of the Interior. The program supports the preservation and restoration of buildings and community gathering spaces of economic and social significance in rural communities with fewer than 7,500 residents.
Additional recipients of this year’s Bruhn Historic Revitalization subgrants include the Granger House in Castleton, Highgate Manor, Northfield Brown Public Library, 24 Main in Saxtons River, the U.S. Customs House in St. Albans, the Sudbury Meetinghouse and Bean Hall in West Fairlee. The grants range from $50,000 to $100,000 and will be used toward structural repairs, roof replacement, window restoration, masonry repairs, exterior work, restoration of significant interior finishes, as well as code and energy efficiency improvements.
“We are pleased to see NPS funding supporting rural preservation and community revitalization projects across Vermont. Each project preserves our state’s history and addresses the challenges facing our smallest communities. PTV Bruhn recipients are adding housing units in downtowns, revitalizing community gathering spaces and investing in beloved cultural institutions,” said Sen. Sanders, Sen. Welch, and Rep. Balint. “Thanks to the good work of PTV and the recipients, these historic buildings will play a central role in community life for generations to come.”
News of receipt of the grant from the Preservation Trust of Vermont for restoration work on the Stannard Church is beyond wonderful! This building is an exceptional example of an historic unmodified rural “gothic” church and is the center of the Stannard two building village. We are an extremely small town of approximately 200 residents which makes resources hard to come by for historical projects.
Thank you so much,
Diane Janukajtis, Stannard