January 13, 2022 – The Preservation Trust of Vermont announced today a Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grant of $100,000 to the Friends of the Union Meeting Hall for structural and restoration work of the Union Meeting Hall.

The Union Meeting Hall, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978,  is a unique gothic-style brick building with multi-paned windows in the Ferrisburgh Town Center. The building has been used as a community gathering place since 1840, and is the site where abolitionist Frederick Douglass gave a fiery speech about freedom and equality in July of 1843. The $100,000 Bruhn Grant grant will support major structural, roof and chimney work necessary to keep the building stable and safe. 

Ensuring the structural integrity of Union Meeting Hall is vital to protecting the historic legacy of the building and securing its use for many generations to come. When rehabilitation is complete, the building will be fully open to public events of all kinds and will serve as an economic driver for the future of the Ferrisburgh Town Center.