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Pierce Hall Community
Center, Inc.
38 Main St.
P.O. Box 36
Rochester, VT 05767 |
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Pierce Hall Celebrates!
Sept. 18 article in The Randolph
Herald
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3.1K Independence Day Foot Race
was held on July 4 to benefit PHCC.
Thanks to everyone for participating. Here are the
Race
Results
in .pdf format. |
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| Pierce Hall in the 1920’s. |
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“Where,
except in a typical New England Village like Rochester, could
such a gathering be held, old and young, from far and near,
meeting for a common purpose, a good time together?”
— Opening of
Pierce Memorial Hall, 1916 |
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| Pierce Hall today. |
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| Old sheetrock has seen
its last day. |
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WANT TO PARTICIPATE?
For further information about YOUR participation in PHCC,
please contact:
Valerie F. Levitan, Ph.D.
Executive Director, PHCC,
P.O. Box 36
Rochester, VT 05767
Phone: (802) 767-3836
vfl@piercehall.org |
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Pierce Hall Community Center, Inc. (PHCC)
is a non-profit tax-exempt organization, bringing together the
communities of the White River
Valley: Bethel, Granville, Hancock, Pittsfield, Rochester,
and Stockbridge.
PHCC formed to restore and provide the facilities and resources
for social, health and wellness, educational, civic, and cultural
activities for residents of all ages.
>>See
the Chronology Highlights of PHCC
Built in 1916, Pierce Hall was designed by local architect
Charles Kinsman and commissioned by Mrs. Julia and Ellen Pierce
in memory of Chester Pierce, Sr. and his son, Edward L. Pierce.
The Pierce sisters planned and envisioned the structure as
a community center. In 1932 Pierce Memorial Hall was given
to Masonic Rural Lodge #29 F&AM who used one room of the
building as their lodge and continued the operation of the
Hall as a community center. In 1971, The Masons deeded the
Hall to the Rochester Town School District for kindergarten
and shop classes. In 1973, the building was closed for large
public gatherings. When the current Rochester High School
building opened in 1974, Pierce Memorial Hall was deeded back
to the Masons, who renovated it for limited use of space.
The Masons owned and occupied the premises for almost thirty
years.
In 2001 nine community members, Charlie Biederman (deceased),
Ken Landis, Dean Mendell, Ann Mills, Dick Robson, Nancy Sanz,
Midge Scanlan, Kathryn Schenkman, and Bill Zucca created a
non-profit association (PHCC) to begin discussions with the
Masons to restore Pierce Hall to its original beauty and its
use as a viable community center. In September, 2002, Valerie
F. Levitan, Ph.D was asked to serve as the (volunteer) Executive
Director. In May, 2004, the Masons voted to give Pierce Hall
to PHCC, Inc., in exchange for a permanent meeting place within
the building. October of 2004 PHCC, Inc., received through
deed transfer, ownership of Pierce Memorial Hall.
During 2004-2005, PHCC worked with the Preservation Trust
of Vermont on plans to most effectively maintain the integrity
of the building and to restore the facility to its original
design. Through a series of ongoing meetings, proposals and
drawings were discussed and reviewed. On October 21, 2005,
The Preservation Trust of Vermont approved the concept designs
for the restoration and additions to Pierce Hall. On November
1, 2005, the PHCC Board of Directors voted and approved plans
for the Project Architect Robson Bilgen to proceed with the
drawings.
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Our Vision: The Six Phases of the Project
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To date Pierce Hall has raised the funds for the deed transfer,
Phases I and II, (now into Phases III and IV) and has paid the
expenses such as architect’s and engineer’s fees
as well as operational costs approximating $13,000 a year for
utilities, insurance, the annual mailing, postage, and event
expenses. It has been estimated that volunteer hours have totaled
over $200,000 worth of time each year for management, grant-writing,
public relations, accounting, and incidental construction labor.
The Town of Rochester has given a 5-year tax abatement (2005-09).
Pierce Hall is listed with the State of Vermont’s Division
of Historic Sites, and its location in the Town of Rochester
has been determined to be part of the Designated Village Center.
Letters of support have been received from the six towns and
from numerous organizations such as the Center for Valley Youth,
Quintown Senior Center, Route 100 Lions Club, White River Valley
Players, Rochester Chamber Music Society, Suzuki Green Mountain
Summer Institute, and Quintown Prevention Partnership.
We thank all of you for your interest and support during the
restoration stages of Pierce Hall Community Center. We hope
you will join with us as we move foward with this project and
help us to make it happen. For further information about YOUR
participation in PHCC, please contact
us. |
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