Learn about stereoscopic photography of the late 19th century, and
perhaps help identify the locations of some photos taken in this area
by Plainfield photographer Carlyle Goodrich as he was “faithfully
recording life in northeast central Vermont”.  For over 25 years,
Richard Petit, who this year published Carlyle Goodrich , Stereoscopic
Photographer, 1875-1881, Plainfield, Vermont, has been looking at the
Goodrich stereo views and working at identifying the images. There are
176 of Goodrich’s photographs now identified; and 60 views
unidentified.  Some of these Mr. Petit believes were taken in the
Albany, West Glover, Irasburg, Orleans, or Coventry area  The museum
will bring its stereoscopic viewers to the library for people to try
out.

These pictures show the two North Country Career Center classes (Timber Harvesting and Building Trades) involved with acquiring the timber for the barn that will be built next to the Museum in the spring.

This spring we are planning to build a replica of the barn that was originally attached to the Old Stone House.  We did an archaeological survey last summer which revealed that the 25 X 40 foot barn was built about the same time as the Old Stone House.  It served to house a few cows and chickens to provide food for the dormitory.  In fact, students were encouraged to bring a cow or chickens to school with them to add to the food supply, and save money on board.

The barn just touched corners with the Old Stone House on its southeast side.  It was connected to the stone house with an added on small shed which entered through the root cellar door, which then entered into the kitchen.  Minutes of the Society reveal that the
“unsightly barn” was taken down in 1924.  I suspect that they had their hands full restoring the stone building, had no use for the barn and didn’t want to repair that also.

We have engaged the International Timberframers Guild to cut out the frame and raise it between June 1 and 10.  There will be a big, highly publicized community barn raising on June 9.  We will house guild members in the Hall House and they can tent on the surrounding grounds and we will feed them.  They will get their members to do the work as they run workshops, including one on hand hewing.  In January and March the North Country Career Center Timber Harvesting Class cut white pine and hemlock from Allen Yale’s woodlot, which they are milling.

We will send Makaio Maher into the Building and Trades Class in March to teach them about timber framing and cut the floor joists and deck, then install it in May over the granite block foundation that John Rodgers is going to build in early May.

We are also taking an outreach educational project on the road to the elementary schools, teaching them about traditional Vermont architecture, and getting the 6th through 8th graders to cut the pegs for the timber frame with draw knives and shingle horses.  We will teach about traditional Vermont architecture and proportions, and have a playhouse sized model timber frame that each class can put together and raise. We are hoping to create ownership in the museum with the youngest members of our community to help sustain it into the future.

Neal Perry and his Morgan horses will be offering sleigh rides, if
there is enough snow, or wagon rides if not, for just $5 a person, with proceeds going toward this summer’s construction of a barn beside the Old Stone House. Call the museum at 754-2022 for more information, or for a last minute snow report.

The Samuel Read Hall House is the big gold house on the corner of the
Hinman Settler Rd. and Old Stone House Rd. in Brownington Village.

Handicapped and senior parking is in the driveway to the left of the
house. General parking is across the road from the Samuel Read Hall
House in the parking lot of the Brownington Congregational Church and
also beside the Twilight House which is across from the Old Stone
House.

Click on the thumbnails below to enlarge the pictures.