H H Mower General Store, Sheldon
May 22, 2023 – The Preservation Trust of Vermont announced today a Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grant of $50,000 to the Sheldon Historical Society for rehabilitation work at the H H Mower General Store.
Rebuilt in 1932 following a catastrophic fire that destroyed the original 1840 building, the former H H Mower General Store, has housed the general store, the post office, the town clerk’s office, a second floor meeting hall, a harness shop, a billiard parlor and more. Today the building houses the Sheldon Historical Society’s exhibits of cultural and natural historical interest.
“The Paul Bruhn Grant award is a welcome acknowledgement of the work the Sheldon Historical Society has been engaged in for the past 6 years: rehabilitating the long-neglected H H Mower general store in the heart of Sheldon’s historic district,” says Andrew Crane, director of Historical Society. “This Bruhn Grant quite literally caps our rehabilitation program, with a new roof and stairway ensuring the integrity of the structure and safety of our collection, programs, and visitors. PTV funds have facilitated planning, engineering, and expert design through their Robert Sincerbeaux matching grants; the Bruhn Grant is a high-octane boost to our program, leveraging resources for further building needs.”
When rehabilitation work is completed, the building will not only be used by the Historical Society, it will also be available for a wide variety of community events and, with a fully accessible restroom and expanded open hours, become a vital stop for rest, shelter, and refreshment on the nearby Lamoille Valley Rail Trail.
“The Preservation Trust of Vermont, in partnership with the National Parks Service, is excited to support projects like the H H Mower Store in Sheldon 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 HH Mower Store 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 Miss Bellows Falls Diner, Braintree Hill Meetinghouse, the Fletcher Free Library in Ludlow, the New Haven Junction Depot, the Gray Building in Northfield, and the Pittsfield Village Farm. 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.”
