A 21st Century Barn Raising

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Created on Friday, 29 March 2013 17:06

Written by Joseph Peters

LYNDON - Temperatures at the Riverside School's barn can dip into the forties during the coldest parts of the winter. The structure, built in the 19th century, has plenty of history. But the lack of proper insulation can leave students and teachers out in the cold.

"This is actually my first year here at the Riverside School," said Janet Edmonson, a music teacher at Riverside. "People let me know early on. They said, 'You know, it's going to get a little chilly in there in the winter. You may want to keep a shawl around.'"

School officials hope to renovate the barn, as well as other school buildings, through a fundraising drive they refer to as 'A Barn Raising.' The goal? $1.5 million. That's enough to get a new barn built in time for the start of fall semester. It's not just about adding more space and better heat. The barn, as it stands now, is structurally deficient.

"We know that, throughout Vermont, there are many barns that have indeed come down under the load of snow," said Dr. Laurie Boswell, the head of the Riverside School. "This barn, unfortunately, is in that same category."

The three buildings that comprise the Riverside School campus are all on the national registry of historic places. However, the structural problems, combined with rapid growth at Riverside, have made a new barn necessary. Enrollment at the school has grown by more than 50% in the past seven years, and that growth likely won't stop anytime soon. So the challenge now falls to Boswell and other school officials, who must expand their school while paying homage to history. Small design traits, like the cupola on the roof of the current barn, will be incorporated into the new barn's design.

"Architecturally," Boswell said, "the design will still be in the keeping of the 1860's period, when the house and the barn were first built."

For Edmonson, the new barn represents growth. It also represents an opportunity to expand the school's reach into the community.

"We want to welcome, not only our own student performances, but other performers in the area," Edmonson said. "We have a number of alumni, school families, friends of the Riverside School, who are active performers in music and dance and theater. We see the new barn as a venue into which they can come and share their talents, and we can facilitate a greater sharing of all the talent that's in this area."

The school will be officially kicking off their fundraising efforts at 5 p.m. at Lyndon State College. Boswell, who'll speak at 5:45, will discuss the way fundraising has progressed so far. She's expected to announce that Riverside School has already made substantial progress toward their $1.5 million goal.