The Mount Holly Barn Preservation Association

Winner of a Preservation Trust of Vermont Award for Outstanding Work in Preserving Vermont's Architecture, 2007.

In spring 2005 part-time Mount Holly farmer Randy Hawkins received a barn preservation grant from the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation for the repair of the cupola and roof on his dairy barn.

He had the assistance of town Planning Commission volunteers in preparing the grant request. This led him to propose an association to help other barn owners repair and maintain their barns.
                                                                                 
The Mount Holly Barn Preservation Association was formed as a non-profit corporation in the State of Vermont in June 2005 and was granted 501©(3) tax-exempt status in July 2006. Dedicated to the preservation of all historic barns in Mount Holly, since its inception the Association has:

  • Surveyed, photographed, and mapped all the historic barns in Mount Holly.
  • Sorted barns by order of need.
  • Obtained funds from the Preservation Trust of Vermont for expert evaluation of the preservation status of the barns in the worst condition, and for assessment of the repair work needed.
  • Applied for and received grants from the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation for preservation work on five barns in 2006 and on two barns
     in 2007.
  • Organized a work camp of International Volunteers for Peace to clear the work sites on four barns in summer 2006.
  • Organized community volunteers to perform repair work on four barns.
  • Sponsored a workshop on cabling of spreading barns.
  • Demonstrated that state barn preservation grants could be leveraged and matched at greater than a 3:1 ratio.
  • Received financial grants in 2006 and 2007 from the voters of Mount Holly.
  • Educated the community about the status of the Town’s historic barns by press releases, booths at community events, fund raising through t-shirts, etc., and by an expert-led tour of five barns.

    (Click to see a larger image.)

    		 Participated with other community organizations in Vermont Reads, through which the 3rd and 4th grades at the Mount Holly Elementary School were introduced to the barns of their town through photographs and a barn tour. The 3rd grade class used the Association’s photos to create a quilt of Mount Holly’s barns. One of the 4th grade student-photographers has been engaged by the Association to take additional photos of the Town’s barns.

  • Presented the Association’s survey work to community organizations in
    Cavendish. A Cavendish Barn Committee was formed and is completing a
    survey of the location and condition of the Town’s barns.
  • Proposed a five-year Save Vermont Barns project to assist Vermont towns to count and to survey the status of their barns. Financial support has been provided by the Preservation Trust of Vermont.
  • Convened an advisory committee for the Save Vermont’s Barns project that includes representatives from the Governor’s Advisory Council for Historic Preservation, the Division for Historic Preservation, the Preservation Trust of Vermont, the Preservation Education Institute, and the Timber Framers Guild.

Contact the MHBPA

PO Box 183, Mount Holly, VT 05758

Phone: 802.259.2596
Email:



 
© 2007 Mount Holly Barn Preservation Association, Inc.