Miss Bellows Falls Diner, Bellows Falls
May 25, 2023 – The Preservation Trust of Vermont announced today a Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grant of $100,000 to Rockingham for Progress, Inc. for the restoration of the Miss Bellows Falls Diner.
Constructed by the Worcester Lunch Car Company in Worcester, Massachusetts in the early 1940’s, the barrel-roof diner was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Though the original features and finishes are entirely intact, the diner is in need of complete restoration.
“The Miss Bellows Falls Diner—the great, egalitarian gathering place of Bellows Falls Village and Rockingham for nearly 80 years, has suffered in the last couple decades from a gradual and heartbreaking decline,” says Bonnie North, president of Rockingham for Progress, Inc. “Bringing her back to life as a Community Supported Enterprise is the goal of Rockingham for Progress. The restoration of the Miss Bellows Falls Diner, which sits as a crucial link between the northern and southern portions of downtown Bellows Falls, will ripple far beyond the four walls of the diner itself, as residents take pride in an important local institution revived and visitors experience a historic and emblematic American diner, productive and in its original condition. Rockingham for Progress is deeply grateful to the Preservation Trust of Vermont for their generous support and encouragement.”
Working with Richard JS Gutman, America’s foremost diner expert, Rockingham for Progress will use the grant funds exclusively for the restoration of the historic dining car. Both the exterior and interior will be repaired and restored, including the marble counter, tilework, built-in coolers, stools, oak booths, fixtures, signage and stained-glass filigrees on the windows.
Rockingham For Progress, founded in 2016 in order to further an expansive vision for the future of Bellows Falls and the Town of Rockingham, has successfully raised funds for the acquisition of the diner and are actively raising funds for the next phase. When complete, the Miss Bellows Falls will provide steady employment to staff, will be returned to the tax rolls as a productive cog in the downtown matrix, and will fill an important gap in downtown restaurant offerings.
“The Preservation Trust of Vermont, in partnership with the National Parks Service, is excited to support projects like the Miss Bellows Falls that will help preserve and revitalize Vermont’s rural communities,” said Ben Doyle, PTV President. “We congratulate the community champions who are leading this work and thank Senator Sanders, Senator Welch, and Congresswoman Balint for their support of this wonderful program. We would also like to acknowledge former Senator Leahy, for his work in establishing this important national program and proposing that it be named after his good friend, and former PTV President, the late Paul Bruhn.”
The Miss Bellows Falls project and the Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant program are supported by the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. The program supports the preservation and restoration of buildings and community gathering spaces of economic and social significance in rural communities with fewer than 7500 residents. Additional recipients of the Bruhn Historic Revitalization subgrants include the Braintree Hill Meetinghouse, the Fletcher Free Library in Ludlow, the New Haven Junction Depot, the Gray Building in Northfield, Pittsford Village Farm, and the HH Mower General Store in Sheldon. The grants range from $50,000 to $100,000 and will be used toward structural repairs, roof replacement, window restoration, exterior work, restoration of significant interior finishes, and code improvements.
“These grants will provide meaningful support to preserve historic sites in rural communities throughout Vermont. Each recipient represents a unique facet of our history and, thanks to support from the Preservation Trust of Vermont, will remain protected and preserved into the future,” said Sen. Sanders, Sen. Welch, and Rep. Balint. “We are honored to have helped bring this funding home to Vermont and look forward to seeing the role these historic community sites will play for generations to come.”
