Mont Vernon Town Hall Restoration Project

12/15/2022

Happy birthday to Mont Vernon

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11/29/2022

Calendars are in! If you’ve pre-ordered and would like to pick up, they will be in the Town Hall Monday through Thursday 9-3 for the next two weeks. We are still working out delivery for those who requested delivery, and are aiming for the weekend of December 10. If you’d prefer to pick up at the Town Hall rather than wait for delivery that is fine too!

There are a few extras available for those who did not preorder. If you are interested in purchasing a calendar please contact us!

11/03/2022

This is the crawlspace beneath existing hearing room in the Mont Vernon Town Hall. This is a good sample of the timber that is in need of replacement. As much as this might cost to repair, it is estimated at a quarter of the cost of replacing the building with a new one.

11/01/2022

Mont Vernon's town hall has an unusual, vestigial “floating chimney”. According to Paul Wainwright, most public meetinghouses were austere buildings with no heat. So this must have been added after the original construction, and then removed.

10/27/2022

Here is an example of Mont Vernon Town Hall's amazing structure. Magnificent gunstocked post top, carved match marks and wedged and pegged knee brace.

10/25/2022

The Town Hall (built in 1781 and relocated in 1837) is an exquisite example of the late 18th century timber framing, with its large hewn, full-length timbers, and some of the finest examples of crafted trusses. The roof was built before engineers were much involved, or even available, using some of the best timber layout and executions I have seen. The flared, “gunstock” post tops are probably the biggest I have seen in forty years of looking at timber structures. The “double-top chord” trusses are the most nicely executed, and with some of the best material I have seen.
- Robert L. (“Ben”) Brungraber, Ph.D., P.E., Principal - Fire Tower Engineered Timber, Inc.

10/24/2022

This elegant X’ed bottom chord bracing

10/23/2022

The in Mont Vernon Town Hall has a cast bell which hangs in previously repaired yoke and carriage.

10/22/2022

Town Hall was constructed before electricity, and has had “new” electrical work installed
many times.

10/21/2022

How tough is your house? The Mont Vernon Town hall has survived being burned. A fire was extinguished in 1834 in this attic area underneath the tower.

10/20/2022

Have you ever wondered why our town hall and many other meetinghouses look like a church? Paul Wainwright, an expert on the topic explains that most meetinghouses were built before the separation of church and state, and therefore were built for both town business and worship with tax money.