Frost Museum Revives Historic Barn with Major Grant Support
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BENNINGTON, Vt. — The Robert Frost Stone House Museum announced the completion of a major project as part of restoring its historic barn.
The Museum received support from the Edwin S. Webster Foundation, a Cultural Facilities Grant from the Vermont Arts Council, a grant from the Windham Foundation, and donations in memory of Lea Newman, a local Frost biographer and friend of the Museum.
"We are so grateful for this show of commitment to the preservation of these beautiful and evocative structures," said Robert Frost Stone House Museum Director Erin McKenny. "Through programming in the historic barn, the Museum can further explore Frost’s lifelong connection to agriculture and its relationship to his poetry and strengthen our community’s connection to creative innovation and rural traditions."
Work included the addition of electricity and water to the 1850s historic barn and enhanced electrical and water access to the small meeting barn on the property. The funding specifically supported the excavation, plumbing, and electrical work that allows the Museum to maximize use of the small meeting barn for programming and, for the first time, the use of the historic barn, the largest indoor, open-plan space on the Museum’s property. The funding also supported the installation of directed track and fixed lights in the historic barn, directed track lighting in the small meeting barn, and outdoor lighting on the sides and entry of both barns, WiFi access, and water access to both structures. The Museum replaced the roof several years ago, which was partially funded through a Historic Preservation Barn Grant from the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development. The last phase of restoration includes replacing boards and the door on the southern side and replacing boards throughout.
The barn will also be open for touring during an Apple Cider Pressing event with Watson Wheeler Cider on Saturday, October 4, from 2:00–5:00 pm. It will be an afternoon of cider pressing, live music, apple crafts, and harvest season libations. Watson Wheeler will be offering free tastings of their hard cider, also for sale during the event, as well as free samples of fresh-pressed juice from the Museum’s apple orchard. Sage Pizza Company will be on site selling pizza.
