Vermont Folklife, a nonprofit that documents Vermont’s culture and history primarily through audio recordings, plans to sell the Middlebury building that has served as its headquarters since 2006.
High maintenance costs for the historic building, greater emphasis on having a statewide presence and the rise in remote work all contributed to the decision to sell, according to executive director Kate Haughey.
Built in the early 1800s, the John Warren House at 88 Main Street has undergone multiple restorations, including a $1.4 million project with funding from Preservation Trust of Vermont in 2007. Devoting resources to maintaining the building ultimately wasn’t in service of the organization’s mission, Haughey said.
“Surely, there are other people around who could be much better stewards than we are of a historic building,” she said. “[The sale] represents a shift in our priorities and our commitment to really being in collaboration with communities across the state.”
The nonprofit had already de-emphasized its on-site programming, closing its Middlebury gallery in spring 2020. Instead of reopening, the center brought its exhibits to cultural institutions around the state, from the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center to the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum.
Traveling exhibits include “The Golden Cage,” photos of and interviews with Vermont dairy farmers and Mexican migrant workers; “Voices of Home,” which explores the experiences of Vermonters living in affordable housing through audio recordings and painted portraits; and “Pride 1983,” interviews with those who participated in Burlington’s first Pride march.
More challenging to relocate is a vast collection of photographs, manuscripts and audio recordings stored in the Middlebury building’s basement — what Haughey describes as “the collective memory of the state.”
Vermont Folklife intends to negotiate with the building’s buyers to keep the collection in Middlebury until a new storage solution is secured. The archives require 1,200 square feet of climate-controlled space, ideally maintained at 65 degrees with 40 percent relative humidity.
“We’re definitely open to creative ideas,” Haughey said. “We want to ensure people know that we’re not gonna just move it anywhere; we want to be careful stewards.”
Vermont Folklife has been based in Middlebury since its founding in 1984. Its prior locations include the Gamaliel Painter House and Masonic Hall, both on Court Street in Middlebury.
Its employees will continue to operate on a hybrid basis out of a small office space at 74 Main Street in Burlington, which is not open to the public. Haughey stressed that despite having a physical office in Burlington, the organization’s focus remains statewide.
“We found it a lot more effective to be meeting people where they are, rather than expecting them to come to us,” Haughey said. “That’s no different in Burlington than it was in Middlebury.”
Correction, August 9, 2024: The story has been updated to correct the name of Vermont Folklife.
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This article appears in Aug 7-13, 2024.
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