New Haven Junction Depot, New Haven
May 22, 2023 – The Preservation Trust of Vermont announced today a Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grant of $100,000 to the Town of New Haven for exterior renovations to the New Haven Depot.
For rail safety reasons, the historic brick New Haven Junction Rail Depot was relocated in 2022 from its original site at the Route 7 railroad crossing to the center of New Haven village. For as long as it has existed, the building has stood as a proud architectural icon for residents and visitors – an icon that says “You have arrived in New Haven, Vermont, a place of pride and significance.”
“The residents of New Haven are absolutely thrilled to receive support from PTV and to bring this iconic building back to life as a vibrant community space,” says Steve Dupoise, volunteer Depot Project Coordinator. “Our top priority is replacing the leaking slate roof on the building with new sheathing, fascia, insulation and slates—ideally before winter. As soon as we have enough money in hand we will start that work.”
The rehabilitated depot will anchor future generations in the town’s historic past while serving the community’s 21st century needs for things such as banking, meeting space, a public transportation hub, and more. The building is located within a two-minute walk of the elementary school, the town library and offices, the village market and the town green.
“The Preservation Trust of Vermont, in partnership with the National Parks Service, is excited to support projects like the New Haven Depot 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 New Haven Depot 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, the Braintree Hill Meetinghouse, the Fletcher Free Library in Ludlow, Pittsfield Village Farm, the Gray Building in Northfield, 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.”
