South Hero Meeting House Project

A group of South Hero volunteers have formed the non-profit South Hero Foundation as a 501(c)3 organization. The mission of this organization is to foster the cultural, historical and recreational environment of the Town of South Hero. The first Foundation goal is to raise private funds to renovate and revitalize South Hero’s Meeting House, the oldest municipally owned building in Grand Isle County.

“We formed this new non-profit,” said Foundation President Michael Carroll, “to make it easier for people to get tax deductions for their donations and to pursue private grant funding for the Meeting House. Looking forward, we feel there may be a need for a non-profit organization to augment Town funding for recreation and other activities in Town.”

Funds raised by the Foundation will first be used to match a $100,000 Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant awarded by Preservation Trust, Vermont in partnership with the National Park Service. This grant will provide funding for a new foundation and to stabilize the east wall of the building in preparation for future renovations that will extend the building’s year-round use. Additional funding will be needed to fully revitalize the Meeting House, including an addition to provide accessibility, water and septic.

The renovation and revitalization of the Meeting House is a Town project. The Foundation will facilitate the work of the Meeting House committee as they work to bring this iconic building back to life in all seasons. The creation of the Foundation will provide donors with full deductibility of their donations as opposed to gifts to the Town.

If you wish to donate to the renovation of the South Hero Meeting House, which is also home to Granny’s Attic, please send a check payable to: South Hero Foundation, Inc., PO Box 441, South Hero, VT 05486-0441. Or, you may make an online donation here.

Anyone interested in knowing more about this organization may contact Michael Carroll, South Hero Foundation President, at 802-233-2030 or by email at jpmCarroll@gmail.com.

The Town of South Hero has been awarded a Vermont Community Development Program (VCDP) Planning Grant to plan for the revitalization of the Old White Meeting House, a historic building located in its Village Center. Currently, the building is in need of major repairs, and is only able to be used seasonally.  Funds from VCDP and the Town will be used to develop an architectural schematic design, cost estimate for renovations, and site plan. The ultimate goal of the project is to revitalize the building for year-round use as a multipurpose community space, as well as for continued seasonal use as the Granny’s Attic Benefit Shop. Northwest Regional Planning Commission is working in partnership with South Hero to manage the project. This project arose from a Municipal Planning Grant (MPG) the Town received in 2019. As part of the MPG, NRPC conducted public outreach regarding the community’s vision for the future of the building which informed the project’s goal of renovating the structure to be used year-round as a multi-purpose community space and Granny’s Attic.

January, 2022

The Preservation Trust of Vermont announced that the Town of South Hero will receive a Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grant of $100,000 for foundation and wall repairs of the South Hero Meeting House in South Hero, VT.

Built by community members in 1816, the historic South Hero Meeting House on US Route 2 has served as a church, town hall, school, and more recently as home to the Granny’s Attic Benefit Store and the Town Fire Department. The $100,000 Bruhn Grant will support replacement of the foundation and stabilization of the east wall of the Meeting House.

Long-term goals for the Meeting House include weatherization, adding basic infrastructure (water and septic) and an elevator on the rear to make it fully accessible year-round. Revitalizing this building will preserve a part of South Hero’s rural history for future generations and provide a vibrant, flexible space for a wide range of community and tourist activities, including retaining the 70-year-old Granny’s Attic Benefit Shop, which raises as much as $34,000 each year to support local non-profit causes that range from library books for kids, to meals for children and older Vermonters.

“This grant will help us begin the restoration of this important iconic building which will become the center of cultural and economic activity for South Hero village for decades to come,” said Select Board Chair David Carter. “The economic impact will be tremendous once the restoration of the Meeting House is complete.”

“The Preservation Trust of Vermont, in partnership with the National Parks Service, is excited to support projects 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 the congressional delegation, Senator Leahy in particular, for his work in establishing this important national program.”

The Bruhn Revitalization Grant 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. Other projects receiving 2022 Bruhn Revitalization grants include: the mid-century Arlington Common building in Arlington, VT ($100,000 for facade restoration); the Union Meeting Hall in Ferrisburgh, VT ($100,000 for structural and restoration work); the Sanborn Covered Bridge in Lyndon, VT ($100,000 for structural work); the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line, VT ($75,000 for slate roof restoration); and the Hale-Brodne House/Orange County Restorative Justice Center in Chelsea, VT ($50,000 for rehabilitation).The Preservation Trust of Vermont is a state-wide nonprofit organization that helps communities save and use historic places. The Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program is administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Congress appropriates funding for the program through the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF). The HPF uses revenue from federal oil leases on the Outer Continental Shelf, providing assistance for a broad range of preservation projects without expending tax dollars.