GRANT TO HONOR HISTORIC HOME
January 13, 2007
By Gordon Dritschilo Rutland Herald Staff
The larger of the two rounds of grants announced Friday is going to honor Stephen Douglas.
As Gov. James Douglas handed out $2.4 million giant-sized checks to recipients of community development block grants, the Vermont Agency of Transportation quietly announced $2.8 million in community enhancement grants.
One of the larger grants went to Brandon, where $258,000 will pay for renovations to the birthplace of Stephen A. Douglas. Douglas, who was born in 1813 and moved to Illinois at the age of 20, was a prolific member of the U.S. Senate and lost the 1860 presidential race to Abraham Lincoln.
The only Rutland County town to get one of the AOT grants, Brandon is looking to convert the historic site into a multi-use building. The two-story house is located at the corner of routes 7 and 73 West.
"Right now, the house is owned by the Lake Dunmore chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution," said Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Janet Mondlak. "They feel like they haven't had the house open to the public in a long time and they haven't really done anything with it."
Mondlak said the DAR approached the chamber asking if it would be interested in taking over the building, and the chamber decided to see what sort of money they could get for the necessary improvements, which include repairing some water damage.
"It was built in 1802," she said. "It's what's called a first-generation Brandon house. It's got a lot of original details and it shows some of the changes that would have been normal through the 19th century as better technology came out. … There weren't a lot of changes in the 20th century."
Mondlak said the plan is to use the building as the town's new visitor information center, distributing maps and travel guides, and dedicate two rooms to historical exhibits.
"We're tracking the story of Stephen Douglas, as well as Brandon history," she said. "There are no Brandon historic exhibits open to the public on a regular basis. We want to fill that need. … It will have a public bathroom, which this town doesn't have, and we hope to have a public meeting space."
The chamber also is considering renting out a small commercial office, but Mondlak said there are no prospective renters lined up.
Mondlak said the chamber has to wait until the Legislature confirms funding for the grants before setting a timeline for the project.
Contact Gordon Dritschilo at gordon.dritschilo@rutlandherald.com.
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