The Gray Building, Northfield
May 22, 2023 – The Preservation Trust of Vermont announced today a Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grant of $100,000 to the Gray Building Coalition for exterior work on the Gray Building.
Originally the graded school in Northfield, the large clapboard building with a center belltower was rehabilitated two decades ago as a community center. The Gray Building Coalition is currently in the process of reinventing the building as an arts and education center with a new Waldorf-inspired school as an anchor tenant that aims to help solve the childcare needs in the area.
“Northfield has been making history and building traditions at The Gray Building for over 130 years. We are immensely grateful to the Preservation Trust of Vermont and the Bruhn Revitalization Grant, whose partnership and financial support will enable us to make critical investments in The Gray Building,” says Blake Pierson, spokesperson for the project. “These investments will ensure the building’s continued vitality and enduring significance in Northfield’s promising and exciting future to come.”
When complete, the project aims to house the new school, co-working space, and community educational spaces offering value-aligned services to meet local needs such as yoga and mindfulness classes, parent support groups, theater and comedy classes, and more.
“The Preservation Trust of Vermont, in partnership with the National Parks Service, is excited to support projects like the work of the Gray Building Coalition that will help preserve and revitalize Vermont’s rural communities,” said Ben Doyle, PTV president. “We congratulate the community champions who are leading this work and thank Senator Sanders, Senator Welch, and Congresswoman Balint for their support of this wonderful program. We would also like to acknowledge former Senator 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.”
The Gray Building project and the Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant program are supported by the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, 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 7500 residents. Additional recipients of the Bruhn Historic Revitalization subgrants include the Miss Bellows Falls Diner, Braintree Hill Meetinghouse, the Fletcher Free Library in Ludlow, Pittsfield Village Farm, the New Haven Junction Depot, and the HH Mower General Store in Sheldon. The grants range from $50,000 to $100,000 and will be used toward structural repairs, roof replacement, window restoration, exterior work, restoration of significant interior finishes, and code improvements.
“These grants will provide meaningful support to preserve historic sites in rural communities throughout Vermont. Each recipient represents a unique facet of our history and, thanks to support from the Preservation Trust of Vermont, will remain protected and preserved into the future,” said Sen. Sanders, Sen. Welch, and Rep. Balint. “We are honored to have helped bring this funding home to Vermont and look forward to seeing the role these historic community sites will play for generations to come.”
