Stuck in Vermont: Restoring the East Monitor Barn in Richmond With Eliot Lothrop 

Built in 1901, the East Monitor Barn in Richmond is one of the largest barns in the state, and many people drive by the former dairy barn on the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps’ campus on Route 2. The campus also includes the West Monitor Barn, which has already been restored and renovated.

The multiyear project is helmed by lead restorationist Eliot Lothrop of Building Heritage. Lothrop has a special connection to the majestic structure: From 2001 to 2003, he lived in the East Monitor Barn’s milk house, a freestanding building that was formerly attached to the barn. Lothrop is passionate about saving these old structures, and he also worked on the West Monitor Barn restoration in 2001. He has spent the past 22 years dreaming about this project.

Over the years, the East Monitor Barn has been pushed forward by the adjacent hillside. In order to stabilize the foundation, the barn — all 500,000 pounds of it — was jacked up on cribbing towers and steel I beams. The structure is currently levitating roughly eight inches in the air.

Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger visited the barn on July 8 to get a tour of the work in progress. About 10 members of the Timber Framers Guild were on-site for the week, shaping beams. Eventually the restored space will house the administrative offices of VYCC, which will increase the housing capacity in the West Monitor Barn for young adults learning about conservation and sustainable agriculture.

There was minimal flooding at VYCC during the catastrophic floods of July 10 and 11. The barn restoration continues, and the timber framework is almost complete. In September, the structure will be lowered onto a restored foundation.

Filming date: 7/8/23

Music: E’s Jammy Jams, “By The Light of the Silvery Moon”

This episode of Stuck in Vermont was supported by New England Federal Credit Union.