We are looking for the original site of the Orleans County Grammar School, which was built in 1823 at the base of Prospect Hill, and moved a third of a mile down the road in 1869. Since the early 1900s it has been used as the Brownington Grange Hall. The town owns it, but cannot afford to maintain it, and the insurance company through the Vermont League of Cities and Towns will no longer insure it, because of wood heat, old wiring, and no running water (but a perfectly clean attached outhouse.)

This was the first secondary school in Orleans County, where Alexander Twilight taught. He built the Old Stone House to serve as a dormitory for out of town students.

At town meeting Brownington residents voted unanimously to give the building to the Old Stone House Museum, and our plan is to move it back to its original site. We believe we know where it was, but are expecting an archaeology professor from Lehigh University, who has a home in Charlotte, to bring his ground penetrating radar to confirm it before we dig.

We have old town meeting reports that talk about building the two stone vaults for the "necessaries", which should still be there underground, and probably were at the back of the building. We also know there was a bell tower, and are hoping to find the foundation for that so we can rebuild it.

We need to do the archaeology because we are the museum, and we want to find out the history of the place, but also we need to meet Act 250 requirements. The intention is to move the building back to the same site, but we could put it just nearby so as not to destroy the original foundation.

Andy Beaupre is our lead archaeologist on this project, and will coordinate his old professor with the ground penetrating radar and the dig which will begin on June 6. We will also get  community members and students involved through summer workshops and our summer camp.

For the weekend of June 6 and 7, we can provide lodging and meals in our Samuel Read Hall House across the road from the site, as well as tent space on the back lawn.

 Our goal is to do the archaeology and documentary research this year, as well as plan, write grants, do fundraising and apply for the Act 250 permit. If all goes well, we would move the building in 2016, but have until 2017 to do it.

Bringing the Grammar School back home is a long time dream of the Orleans County Historical Society, and the final piece in restoring the neighborhood to what it was like in Alexander Twilight's time.

If interested you may contact Peggy Day Gibson

Museum phone number (802) 754-2022.