Vermont Research News: Superguns, laughing gas, gasoline gypsies, Newport's glory days

Vergennes:  A grand operatic tradition lives on
The Vergennes Opera House was built in 1897, one of several grand opera houses built in the state during that era to lure tourists with cultural opportunities. While it thrived for decades, hosting luminaries from President William Howard Taft to Tiny Tim, it fell into disrepair in the 1970s, a victim to competition from movies and television. The nonprofit Friends of Vergennes Opera House (FVOH) soon formed to raise major revenue from businesses and people dedicated to keeping the arts and community alive--and the grand building was restored and reopened for its 100th anniversary in 1997. Read the Opera House’s story here, and visit the Vergennes Historical Society here.  

Dorset:  A Marble Marvel 
Today, the Dorset Marble Quarry is known for being a great swimming spot, but as the nation’s first established marble quarry, founded in 1785, it also put Dorset on the world map. As a small town fixed in a valley, Dorset had access to a wealth of marble buried deep in the surrounding mountains that became its ‘claim to fame.’ Dorset marble can be found in some very famous buildings, including The New York Public Library, Harvard Medical School and Brown University Library. To learn more about Dorset’s well-marbled past, please visit the Dorset Historical Society.

North Troy: The Mystery of Gerald Bull’s Supergun
From the early 1960s through 1979, residents in the towns of Troy and Jay lived uneasily with a mysterious neighbor: Space Research Corporation. The munitions company was known for its high-tech weaponry and artillery shells, but its Canadian founder, Gerald Bull, was also believed to be directing a project to create a “supergun” with a 10,000 mm muzzle. The weapon’s purpose was to launch satellites and other projectiles over long distances, possibly destined, it was rumored --for Iraq leader Saddam Hussein. The facility employed about 200 workers, but the secrecy of the project made local residents uneasy--even more so when the project seemingly vanished after Gerald Bull’s mysterious assassination in Brussels, Belgium. To learn more about Gerald Bull and the project visit the Vermonter or read The Northland Journal (page 26-28) article. To learn more about the assassination of Gerald Bull, check out this article in the Washington Post.

Putney: A General Store Rebuilds After Not One, But Two Fires
The Putney General Store, Vermont’s oldest operating goods store, has existed as a social hub for the small community since 1796. So when it was found engulfed in flames one morning in May 2008, the people of Putney knew they had to collaborate in order to repair the store. Some believe the fire was due to faulty wiring, however, the source of the fire remains a mystery to this day. With generous donations, the townspeople teamed together to repair the destroyed interior and wrecked façade, only to have it burned down yet again by an arsonist. In 2011, using a nonprofit community enterprise model, the Putney Historical Society purchased the property and spearheaded a $1.4 million effort to rebuild the store. To learn more about the Putney General Store restoration project, visit the Putney Historical Society and Putney General Store websites.

Barre: The Rock of Ages Quarry Courts “Gasoline Gypsies”
In the 1920s as cars became more affordable and the nation’s network of roadways expanded, a new type of tourist emerged.  So-called “Gasoline Gypsies” traveled all over the country to see the sights--but in Vermont, with few hotels, they often had to camp in cornfields, town commons and other public spaces (leading author Sinclair Lewis to dub them “automobummers”).  But instead of barring them from the premises, Barre’s Rock of Ages Quarry welcomed them--and, in 1924, built its first Visitor’s Center to accommodate even more car tourists.  The PR move paid off:  Rock of Ages became known nationally and was even featured in National Geographic magazine.  To learn more about the history of the quarry, visit Rock of Ages Tours or the Barre Historical Society.

Chester: Snecks and Stones
The town of Chester is most commonly known for its Stone Village and Chester Village Historic Districts, which are both listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The half-mile-long stretch is the highest concentration of stone buildings in the state - and all feature a masonry technique brought by Scottish stonemasons who’d made their way to the state from Canada in the mid-1800s. The style, then common in Scotland and Ireland, used small long stones called “snecks’ to tie outer and inner walls together--resulting in a distinctive style otherwise rare in the rest of the U.S. To discover more about Chester’s past, plan a walking tour here --or visit the Chester Historical Society.

Grafton- The Beautiful Travel Stop
In the 1800’s Grafton was a popular stagecoach stop for those who were traveling through the Green Mountains towards Albany--and the town soon became known for its hospitality. At its center was the Old Tavern, built in 1801 and still running today as the Grafton Inn (and now one of the oldest hotels in the country). Many of the town’s historic buildings look much as they did in their heyday, restored by residents through the nonprofit Windham Foundation. For more glimpses into Grafton’s past, visit the Grafton Historical Society.

Cabot: The Yellow House’s History of Drinking and Smuggling
The tavern known as The Yellow House, which once stood on Cabot’s Plain, was the first frame house to be built in the town, near the turn of the 18th century.  To get help raising it, brothers Gershom and Horace Beardsley lured townspeople with a barrel of first-class rum. Helpers soon arrived, promising they’d “drink the Beardsleys dry.” The Yellow House soon became the town’s social and political center, and later, the headquarters of a gang of smugglers who sent whiskey to British troops during the War of 1812. The Inn’s fortunes faded, and it was torn down in 1855. Today, a stone labeled “Smuggler’s House” marks where it once stood. For more about the Yellow House’s rugged history, visit the Cabot Historical Society.