The Preservation Trust of Vermont (PTV) has announced a Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grant of $75,000 to the Windham Meeting House for accessibility improvements and exterior painting.
Constructed in 1802, the Windham Meeting House has been the focus of community life for over 220 years. Use has declined over the years, but the Town, in partnership with the Friends of the Meeting House, has been working to engage the community in planning and new programming.
Brunch and Brainstorm sessions helped the Meeting House Committee identify priorities, which focused on preserving the building, expanding its use, and upgrading the kitchen to allow for more shared experiences. The Bruhn grant funding will address ADA and code compliance issues, allowing the Meeting House to once again serve as the center of community and collaboration in Windham.
"We congratulate the community champions who are leading this work and thank Senator [Bernie] Sanders, Senator [Peter] Welch, and Congresswoman [Becca] Balint for their support of this wonderful program. We would also like to acknowledge former Senator [Patrick] Leahy, for his work in establishing this important national program and proposing that it be named after his good friend and former PTV president, the late Paul Bruhn," said current PTV president, Ben Doyle, in a news release.
The Windham Meeting House project and the Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant program are supported by the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, U.S. 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.
This Town and Village item was submitted to The Commons.