Bennington Museum
Telling the stories of this region through Art, History, and the New England Landscape
Visit us soon!
NEWS FLASH:
Help Bennington Museum meet the $10,000 Masterworks Match Challenge in support of our window project!
Applications for the summer Teacher’s Institute are now open!
Bennington Museum seeks applicants for full or part-time Education & Community Engagement AmeriCorps positions.
Please read below for a public notice regarding the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Section 106 Review of Bennington Museum’s Historic Window Improvements Project
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has offered Bennington Museum, Inc. in Bennington, Vermont, an Infrastructure and Capacity Building grant (CHA-286589) for a window improvement and insulation project.
NEH is an independent grant-making agency of the United States government dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. This public notice is issued as part of NEH’s responsibilities under 36 C.F.R. Part 800, the regulations which implement Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, as amended, 54 U.S.C. 306108. NEH, a funding agency, is required by regulation to identify and assess the effects of any proposed actions on historic properties. If any proposed action will have an adverse effect on historic resources, NEH works with the appropriate parties to seek ways to avoid, minimize, or mitigate any adverse effects. Additionally, the Section 106 regulations require NEH to consider the views of the public on preservation issues when making final decisions that affect historic properties.
Benning Museum is located at 75 Main Street in Bennington Vermont. The oldest part of the museum was a former Catholic church, constructed in 1855 and later renovated in 1928. In 1937 the Museum added two wings, forming a U-shaped building around an entrance court, and established its iconic front with four Greek Doric columns. Further additions in 1961, 1973, and 1998 added gallery space, collections storage, and a new wing for education and public events. The 19th century Grandma Moses Schoolhouse was moved to the site in 1973 and was later connected to the building.
The proposed Section 106 undertaking involves 37 historic windows, all of which are single paned, set into the native stone walls of the original structure and the 1937 addition. NEH Challenge funds will support the fabrication and installation of custom-built exterior storm fittings. Bennington Museum will also coordinate with the Village of Old Bennington’s Zoning Administrator to ensure that any storm window installation on the façade of the historic structure will be aesthetically acceptable.
On June 20, 2020, the Vermont State Historic Preservation Officer, Laura Trieschmann indicated that the undertaking would have no adverse effect. Subsequently, NEH has determined that the project will have no effect on historic properties.
As required by Section 106, NEH is providing the public with information about this project, as well as an opportunity to comment on any knowledge of, or concerns with, historic properties in the proposed project area, and issues relating to the project’s potential effects on historic properties. Comments may be submitted to the NEH by e-mail to FPO@neh.gov. The deadline for submitting comments is 6/28/22.
