Have you had trouble accessing high-speed Internet during the Covid19 pandemic when you need it?

When you pull into the Old Stone House Museum & Historic Village’s guest parking lot at 109 Old Stone House Road now you can do more than park for a visit. Thanks to a grant from the Vermont Department of Public Service, all visitors can access high-speed internet completely free of charge.

“We’re grateful to the State of Vermont for their support of Orleans County,” Molly Veysey, Old Stone House Museum & Historic Village Executive Director, said. “Free access to the internet has become increasingly indispensable due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The holes in our local internet infrastructure has left members of our community in real need for high-speed internet just to do daily tasks. We’re happy to step-in and provide this service for our community.”

To access the internet, visitors can remain seated in their cars or sit outside the Alexander Twilight House. This building was home to Alexander Lucius Twilight, the African American leader who called Brownington the “home of his choice” through the mid 1800’s and built the Old Stone House across the street. Visitors can access the public network called “Brownington Hotspot” and follow the prompts. We ask that internet users are respectful of the historic village. To this end, please only stay for as long as you might need the Internet. Please do not litter, refrain from idling and be aware that campfires or camping are both prohibited.

In the future, the museum plans to make additional services available to the public to better make use of this service and the other recreational resources outdoors and indoors in the historic village. Plans call for picnic tables located within range of the WiFi network and, if needed, expansion of the network to more of the campus.

The Vermont Department of Public Service is addressing gaps in service availability across Vermont by contracting for the rapid installation of commercial-grade outdoor Wireless Access Points at an additional 50 sites around the state of Vermont.  The grant received by the Old Stone House Museum & Historic Village provided the necessary equipment, professional installation service and a one-year software license. However, the museum will pay for any monthly fees and taxes out of its regular operating budget. Donations to the museum’s 2020 Annual Fund are encouraged to help defray this cost.