JasonW
October 27th, 2010, 08:04 AM
Vermont wins national historic preservation award
By HOWARD WEISS-TISMAN / Reformer Staff
Saturday October 23, 2010
BRATTLEBORO -- Vermont’s historic preservation organization will receive a national award at a conference in Austin, Texas, next week.
Preservation Trust of Vermont is slated to receive the Trustees’ Award for Organizational Excellence at the annual conference of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Only one group is chosen for the organizational excellence award from among preservation groups in all 50 states.
Preservation Trust of Vermont Executive Director Paul Bruhn, who will travel to Austin next week to accept the award, said the Vermont group was singled out for its success in working with local groups.
"This is a huge honor," Bruhn said. "They only give one of these out each year, and it is recognition of all of the good work that has happened across the state all of these years."
Preservation Trust of Vermont worked with a number of local groups in Windham County to save historic structures.
The organization was active in saving the Latchis Theater and in rehabilitating the Wilder Building in Brattleboro.
The group also helped in the Putney General Store project and is working with the Friends of Algiers in saving the Guilford General Store.
Lyssa Papazian, the project manager for the Putney General Store, said that not only has Bruhn been able to help her group with grants, but his positive outlook has been crucial to moving the work along.
"In our darkest times, when nothing was working out, we would literally call Paul and put him on speaker phone," said Papazian. "He gave us confidence, as much as anything else, to make us think that we really could do this."
Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said Preservation Trust of Vermont has created a national model in partnering with national groups while lobbying for state and local funding to support historic preservation projects.
The group provides technical and financial help while bringing together local supporters for the community to move the projects forward.
"It is impossible to catalog the impact the Preservation Trust of Vermont and its executive director, Paul Bruhn, have had on nearly every town in the Green Mountain State," said Meeks. "This group’s passion, innovation, commitment and creativity have helped Vermonters keep their state a special place."
Since forming about 30 years ago, Preservation Trust of Vermont has helped save more than 1,000 buildings across the state.
It has helped rehabilitate village stores, churches, community halls, schools and barns, and just this year its staff of five worked on 352 projects in 155 communities.
Bruhn recognized the work done by the local residents in each of the communities and said that none of the projects could have happened without the work of the people who care about their buildings.
"This is recognition of everyone who has done this work in the preservation field over the years. We have a lot of people who are committed to taking these projects on," said Bruhn. "And it is recognition that Vermont is a wonderful place to do this work."
http://www.reformer.com/localnews/ci_16412261
By HOWARD WEISS-TISMAN / Reformer Staff
Saturday October 23, 2010
BRATTLEBORO -- Vermont’s historic preservation organization will receive a national award at a conference in Austin, Texas, next week.
Preservation Trust of Vermont is slated to receive the Trustees’ Award for Organizational Excellence at the annual conference of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Only one group is chosen for the organizational excellence award from among preservation groups in all 50 states.
Preservation Trust of Vermont Executive Director Paul Bruhn, who will travel to Austin next week to accept the award, said the Vermont group was singled out for its success in working with local groups.
"This is a huge honor," Bruhn said. "They only give one of these out each year, and it is recognition of all of the good work that has happened across the state all of these years."
Preservation Trust of Vermont worked with a number of local groups in Windham County to save historic structures.
The organization was active in saving the Latchis Theater and in rehabilitating the Wilder Building in Brattleboro.
The group also helped in the Putney General Store project and is working with the Friends of Algiers in saving the Guilford General Store.
Lyssa Papazian, the project manager for the Putney General Store, said that not only has Bruhn been able to help her group with grants, but his positive outlook has been crucial to moving the work along.
"In our darkest times, when nothing was working out, we would literally call Paul and put him on speaker phone," said Papazian. "He gave us confidence, as much as anything else, to make us think that we really could do this."
Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said Preservation Trust of Vermont has created a national model in partnering with national groups while lobbying for state and local funding to support historic preservation projects.
The group provides technical and financial help while bringing together local supporters for the community to move the projects forward.
"It is impossible to catalog the impact the Preservation Trust of Vermont and its executive director, Paul Bruhn, have had on nearly every town in the Green Mountain State," said Meeks. "This group’s passion, innovation, commitment and creativity have helped Vermonters keep their state a special place."
Since forming about 30 years ago, Preservation Trust of Vermont has helped save more than 1,000 buildings across the state.
It has helped rehabilitate village stores, churches, community halls, schools and barns, and just this year its staff of five worked on 352 projects in 155 communities.
Bruhn recognized the work done by the local residents in each of the communities and said that none of the projects could have happened without the work of the people who care about their buildings.
"This is recognition of everyone who has done this work in the preservation field over the years. We have a lot of people who are committed to taking these projects on," said Bruhn. "And it is recognition that Vermont is a wonderful place to do this work."
http://www.reformer.com/localnews/ci_16412261