Montgomery Historical Society New Archival Building A "Home for History"

     Part of the Montgomery Historical Society  mission is to collect things that help all of us understand the heritage of our community.  Our first acquisition was St. Bartholomew’s Church in 1974 saving it from demolition.  Over time other, smaller things were acquired like a butter tub, a spool, and a packing case from the Town’s mills, photographs, a thimble, toys, a 97 flood quilt.

     All were crammed into a small closet in the front of the church.  It was the only storage space we had and while Pratt Hall is beautiful it doesn’t lend itself to managing the collection, nor should it.  In fact we've made a concerted effort to preserve the building's character and appearance, inside and out, so people feel like they’ve walked into the original house of worship built by Montgomery's earliest settlers.

     In 2005 the Society purchased the abutting property which was once the location of the Village Store.  The lawn where it once stood now hosts our Farmers Market and its small house on Deuso Road became our archive and general storage building.  Unfortunately the building was in terrible shape.  It has serious structural problems including a leaky roof, rotten trusses, and a crumbling foundation (where there is one).  It lacks heat, and water.  Part of it is in a flood zone.  It is not a place to safely store items and has no space to exhibit these gems of our community or otherwise provide public access.  We now have over 1,100 items!

 WE CAN DO BETTER

     Our consulting engineers recommended, and the MHS Board agreed to remove the Deuso Road house and build a new facility we can work in year round.   We have Town approvals and are working with our neighbors.   We will temporarily store the archives in Pratt Hall and have begun emptying the building.

 A HOME FOR HISTORY

     This area once housed a carriage barn and stable for the church.  In that spirit our new archive building will be based on a carriage barn design and blend into the neighborhood.  It will provide safe storage, work, and exhibit space, and be outside the known flood zone.  It will also be energy efficient, and ADA compliant meeting all the requirements for public access.

WE NEED YOUR  HELP

     A monetary donation in any amount will help us meet our goal of $350,000.  Tax deductible donations can be made on our web site by selecting the Donate button on our “Donations & MHS Store” page.  Donations can be designated in Honor of, or in Memory of, people as directed.  Checks can be mailed to:

Montgomery Historical Society
P.O. Box 47
Montgomery, VT 05470

     If you have an IRA and have reached the age of 70½, you may find it advantageous to make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) to the Society. This distribution can reduce your Adjusted Gross Income and may even put you into a lower tax bracket.  A QCD must be made by your IRA custodian directly to a qualified charity, such as the Society.  If you must take a Required Minimum Distribution from your IRA, the QCD can be used to meet that requirement.

     Another way to donate to the MHS, is to transfer stock, mutual fund and bond securities that have appreciated in value. By transferring these securities, you may take the current market value as a deduction on your tax return and avoid paying capital gains taxes and maybe even switch to a lower tax bracket.

     Please contact us at pratthall@gmail.com for more information or if you have questions, and thank you for your support.

 The MHS Board of Directors
Bob Cummins, Abby Dixson-Boles, Marijke Dollois, Pat Farmer,  Mary Garceau, John Kuryloski,
Roger Lichti, Bill McGroarty, Patty Perl, Scott Perry, Elsie Saborowski, & Sue Wilson

We are a 501.c.3 Non-profit.

Join Us and Make History!!!