Address:
30 Main Street St.
Johnsbury, VT
Owner:
St. Johnsbury Athenaeum
30 Main Street St.
Johnsbury, VT
Completion Date:
April 1999
In 1871, wealthy philanthropist Horace Fairbanks, former governor of Vermont and president of the scale company that bore his name, constructed the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum as a gift to his fellow citizens. Designed by John Davis Hatch III, the building is considered to be one of the finest in New England, and is one of thirteen National Landmark Sites in the state of Vermont.
Shortly after the construction of the main library building, Fairbanks added a magnificent art gallery to house the growing collection of paintings and sculptures purchased in Europe and America by Fairbanks. This collection featured Albert Beirstadt's The Domes of the Yosemite, which originally hung in the central rotunda of the Lockwood-Matthews Mansion in Norwalk Connecticut.
The gallery of the Athenaeum is considered to be the oldest unaltered art gallery in the county, and the rest of the building retains a remarkably high degree of original fabric. Original furniture, decorative paint schemes and light fixtures are still extant throughout the building, and it is the owner's intent to restore any missing features while continuing its use as a fully functioning public library. Before this work commences, the firm prepared a historic structure report documenting the history of the building, existing and original conditions, and the problems of repair. The report also provided recommendations for the restoration of the Athenaeum and plans for future expansion of the facility. The restoration of the roof was the first phase of this work, which was completed in the spring of 1999.