February 12, 2020: Town Hall Auditorium Raffle Drawing

The Pawlet Town Hall Restoration Group held a raffle to raise money for period light fixtures to be installed in the upstairs auditorium of our historic Town Hall. The Town as engaged the services of Authentic Designs in Rupert to design and craft 4 chandeliers and 6 sconces. The money to pay for and install these fixtures is partially coming from a generous donation from the Pawlett Historical Society, with the balance being raised privately. We are glad to report the raffle was a success, and the lucky winners have claimed their prizes:

• Roy Egg hand-carved and painted Rhode Island Red Rooster, approximately 2 feet tall (estimated value $300).
• Janno Gay handcrafted, covered Brie Baker. This oven-proof server measures 7”w x 2”h, with a blue delphinium hand-painted pattern that lends a French country feel (estimated value $60).
• Pawlet gift basket filled with Grandpa’s stuff maple creme, Cleveland family maple syrup, a pack of note cards with a drawing of the town hall done by Brian Sweetland, maple candy made by Bob Wood, a roasting chicken from Julie Mach, organic sweet potatoes from Laughing Child Farm (estimated value $120).

Thanks to everyone for their support, Sue LaPorte and Elizabeth Gibson on behalf of the Pawlet Town Hall Restoration Project

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Town Hall has served Pawlet’s town government continuously since it was built in 1881 and is the only public building in Pawlet to be listed in the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places. See the National Park Service listing for more information.

In 2003 a major restoration project began when Pawlet voters decided by a margin of 3 to 1 not to pursue construction of a new town office building. Since then the first floor offices have been renovated and the entire building has been made ADA-compliant. The cupola has been fully restored, and the auditorium ceiling has been stabilized. In 2013 a fire stair was installed on the back of the building, and subsequently a heating system was installed. With these improvements the large upstairs auditorium can once again be used for community events.

In December 2017 the Town was awarded a grant from the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation for additional repair work on the auditorium’s historic painted ceiling. More information on the grant award is available here: Pawlet, Sudbury score historic preservation grants.

This $8,500 grant requires a 1:1 match. The Pawlett Historical Society has generously pledged the proceeds from its Fall 2017 annual appeal to help meet this match. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation towards the completion of this important project. Send checks payable to “Pawlet Town Hall Restoration” to Judy Coolidge, Treasurer, Town of Pawlet, Pawlet, VT 05761. 

Additional work will be required to fully restore this beautiful space. For an update on the status of this project, see: Pawlet Town Hall Restoration Summary, February 2018. Restoration work has been funded with a combination of town monies, various grants and private donations.

Use of Upstairs Auditorium for Community Events: The Town Hall has a second story auditorium that is available for community use. The Pawlet Select Board’s policy for use and rental agreement may be viewed here: Auditorium_Rental_Agreement.

For additional information, please contact  Deb Hawkins, Town Clerk,
802-325-3309 extension 1; pawletclerk@vermontel.net

Pawlet One Hundred Years Ago, May 26, 2016, Pawlet Town Hall: The Pawlett Historical Society’s spring program featured Eileen Travell, Senior Photographer at the Metropolitan Museium of Art, who presented a slideshow and talk about Pawlet resident Nellie Bushee’s images of Pawlet during the later 19^th and early 20^th century.  Many community members turned out to journey back one hundred years in Pawlet and share memories.  Some people were able to identify certain residents and some of the homes and gardens captured on Nellie’s glass plates.

 

Town of Pawlet hosts grand opening of ADA-compliant phase of the Town Hall restoration project, October 2010

 

Pawlet, VT, October 8, 2010 – The Town of Pawlet held an open house at the Pawlet Town Hall today to celebrate completion of the ADA-handicap accessible phase of the Town Hall restoration project. The Pawlet Town Hall was built in 1881 and, like many town halls in New England, was constructed without ADA access or elevators.

The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) phase of the project was successfully finished in July. The building is now totally ADA-compliant, with a handicap-accessible entrance on each floor, and a three-stop accessible full-service elevator. In addition, the cupola has been fully restored.

“These improvements are important,” said Governor Jim Douglas when he spoke at the Cultural Facilities Grant award ceremony about this and 13 other similar projects throughout Vermont. “Helping a facility comply with the Americans for Disabilities Act allows everyone to have a chance to access the opportunities that are presented to them.” The governor also stressed the “tremendous dividends” these renovation projects offer in terms of creating jobs: “They are good for the economy and good for everyone.”

Ann Cousins, Field Service Representative, Preservation Trust of Vermont, commented, “We are very pleased to have been able to help with the rehabilitation and reopening of the Town Hall’s auditorium. We are grateful to Senator Patrick Leahy for his partnership and support of the Village Revitalization Initiative grant that provided a grant for the Town Hall and other village venues around the State. Now, on to this fantastic painted ceiling and the interior finishes!”

Tayt Brooks, Vermont Commissioner of Economic, Housing and Community Development, said, “The $50,000 grant the state made to the Town of Pawlet in 2009 to refurbish this historic town hall and improve handicapped accessibility was an investment in both an historic building and in the vitality of this  community. The second-floor auditorium can now be more easily accessed, making it more available for community events.”

Molly Lambert, State Director of USDA Rural Development, commented, “The Town of Pawlet has done an admirable job obtaining multiple grants and funding sources. Now all people of Pawlet will have access to a vitally important center of the community. USDA Rural Development is proud to participate in this effort that restores a historically important building while providing essential accessibility for all members of the community.”

“We are very pleased to see the restoration of the Town Hall, particularly the building’s cupola and spire, for which we provided an $11,000 grant,” commented Giovanna Peebles, State Historic Preservation Officer and head of the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation. “This really reinforces the wise decision of Pawlet’s voters in 2003 to restore this building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, rather than replace it.”

This work was made possible thanks to: grants from VCDP-AM (Vermont Community Development Program-Accessibility Modifications) for $50,000, ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) through USDA-RD CF (U.S. Department of Agriculture – Rural Development Community Facilities) for $35,226.66, VAC-CF (Vermont Arts Council – Community Facilities) for $14,800, VDHP (Vermont Division for Historic Preservation) for $11,000, and HAVA (Help America Vote Act) for $5,000; private donations; and the Town of Pawlet.

The Pawlet Town Hall cupola restoration is funded in part from a Village Revitalization Initiative grant — a partnership between the Preservation Trust of Vermont and Senator Patrick Leahy, with funding from HUD.

The Town Hall restoration project began in 2003 when the voters of Pawlet by a margin of 3:1 decided not to investigate construction of a new town office building. The overall restoration is about 75 percent complete. The next crucial step is to stabilize the auditorium ceiling. The historically significant decoration on the ceiling will be repaired, and the historic wall stencils will be reproduced. Two grants are being sought to accomplish this step, and additional matching funds will be required to meet the total estimated cost of $40,000. About 50 people attended today’s open house, including many community members, private donors, and:

-Ann Cousins, Field Service Representative, Preservation Trust of Vermont

-Meg Campbell, Field Service Representative, Preservation Trust of Vermont

-Josh Hanford, Director, Vermont Community Development Program

-Carl Bohlen, Community Development Specialist,

Vermont Community Development Program

-Andrea Ansevin-Allen, Community Programs Specialist,

US Department of Agriculture –Rural Development

-Jon-Michael Muise, Area Director, Rutland, Bennington, Windham, and Windsor Counties, USDA – Rural Development

-Michele Bailey, Director of Programs, Vermont Arts Council – Community Facilities

-John Malcolm, Sate Representative for Pawlet, Middletown Springs, Rupert and Wells

-Sue LaPorte, Vice Chair, Pawlet Select Board

-Keith Mason, Pawlet Select Board Chair, March 2004 – March 2010

-Steve Williams, President, Pawlett Historical Society

Tax-deductible donations for the restoration project are needed; checks payable to “Town of Pawlet Town Hall Restoration” can be mailed to Judy Coolidge, Treasurer, Town of Pawlet, PO Box 128, Pawlet, VT 05761.