A Beehive of Activity!
- Peggy Pearl
- Sep 21
- 3 min read
On the 27th of September, the official opening of the new exhibit hall at History & Heritage will take place. These exhibits will continue to tell more of the story of St. Johnsbury. Exhibit work is exciting as heads come together with ideas as to how to best tell the stories through the artifacts, illustrations and text. Add to this, new technologies and the stories are enriched even more. Keith Chamberlain has shown us that a postcard can become wallpaper making you feel that you are right in the Railroad Station and if you scan the code on the text – you can hear the whistle of the train blow and the bell ring!
We have chosen to tell the story of the French Catholics as their schools, Church and history of the first hospital have escaped the curriculum of present day school students. Imagine standing between two granite pillars from the former Notre Dame Church on Prospect Street that burned in 1966 and looking at an 1895 picture that shows all that once was. The pillars were rescued by Doctor Coburn when he was exiting St. Johnsbury Hospital – they took up residency at his camp in Victory for years!
In 2001, all elementary schools joined under one roof on Western Avenue, this exhibit highlights the history of approximately 16 different school districts at one time in St. Johnsbury’s history. Their stories and locations are understood in this exhibit. Young visitors can practice cursive writing!
1837 saw the first printing of our newspaper AND it’s still going – no small feat. This exhibit houses one of the Caledonian – Record’s oldest artifacts – that of a printing press (hand operated) that last turned out 1927 flood updates. It was a puzzle but came together with Bob Desrochers and Kirt Adams.
We are more than pleased with the outcome of this building project. It is open, inviting and allows for multiple uses. There is space for permanent exhibits, room for temporary exhibits, a mezzanine for large objects to be shown and a great space to gather. It is yet another great example of how volunteers have come together to lend their talents to the success of History & Heritage. I sometimes am frustrated with being “the new kid on the block” as we are often times not part of the “places to see.” History & Heritage tells the stories and exhibits the artifacts of how come we have the Athenaeum, Fairbanks Museum, and St. Johnsbury Academy, etc. This November marks our tenth year of being open to the public, and we have just about used up our real estate in creating spaces to showcase our history. In that time, we have bettered the Main Street walk, created a tour of Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, and volunteers have labored on a timeline that gives visitors a look at some of St. J’s historical highlights. Additionally, Dan Swainbank wrote the story of our Fairbanks’s that came to St. J. from Brimfield, Mass.
And so another piece of the puzzle has come together with this new building. The continued success, yet again, rests with donors and volunteers that have brought it this far. Are we done? Hopefully not as we seek additional volunteers and a director that can focus on public programs, getting school students involved in knowing and visiting this resource and a more public outreach.
Hopefully, you will visit this opening on the 27th of September at 10a.m. The Center will be fully engaged with Craft Day too and you can see how things were done yesterday – from pump log boring to toys and games.
St. Johnsbury History & Heritage Center
Welcome to an edition of History & Heritage. Our purpose is to acquaint you with our mission to preserve the town’s rich history, highlight the legacy of those who have gone before and show how our past has shaped our present. We are a non-profit with 501(c)(3) status.
We are located at 421 Summer Street. Our September hours are Monday - Wednesday 10a.m. – 4p.m. Admission is by donation. This is your establishment and we encourage your support in making this historic home and out buildings a wonderful place for exhibiting, preserving and collecting St. Johnsbury’s history. Browse our web site at www.stjhistory.org and our Facebook page. Our mailing address is 421 Summer Street, St. Johnsbury, Vt., 05819 and phone number is 802 – 424 – 1090.