Campaign to Restore and Enhance Chester's Hearse House Begins

The banner is up on the side of the white Hearse House, near the Public Tomb on Main Street in Chester, signaling that Chester Townscape is now appealing to the public for funds to finish the restoration and enhancement of the Hearse House. Contributions from some supporters and from members of the Chester Townscape Committee of the Chester Community Alliance, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization, have brought restoration efforts to a very important point. So it's time to make that progress public - because the progress made is much more than meets the eye!

Just last fall, Chester Townscape sought preliminary funding to determine whether people who love Chester were interested in restoring two important buildings: the 1830 Hearse House and 1850 Public Tomb. By the spring of 2015 Chester Townscape had accomplished the first tasks: raised money to repair the walls and leaky roof of the Public Tomb, which shelters the deceased awaiting burial; planted daffodils and then impatiens along the cemetery wall to beautify and spotlight the area; researched businesses and workmen to do the restoration of the Hearse House itself, as well as the restoration of the cast-iron fence at the entrance to the cemetery; and secured the necessary contributions to make those and the next set of improvements possible. Sufficient support enabled Chester Townscape to satisfy the Town of Chester's requirement that the Town have funds in hand before signing any work contract. Therefore, on October 19, those funds were delivered to Town Hall, and the Town Manager signed a carpenter's contract for the woodwork, foundation, roof, and site work that will prepare a realigned and restored Hearse House for painting and for the addition of electricity and the internal structures and other elements that will convert the Hearse House into a most visible historic and educational attraction in the heart of Chester.

According to the carpenter's contract the important basic work on the Hearse House will be started next spring and completed by June 15, 2016. So, while everyone is waiting for winter to come and go, Chester Townscape volunteers will be working on gathering funds for the Part II educational phase of the project. Hearse House volunteers will be soliciting bids for painting the building and deciding on the educational display design and the educational structures and equipment. They will be researching photos, memories, memorabilia, and information about the Hearse House and its place in Chester's history. To do this job well will require help from the public in two areas: funding and information.

Funding. The present estimate for funds to finish the complete project is $20,000: $15,000 for the educational component and $5,000 for an endowment fund to maintain the building into the future. Every person who appreciates Chester's history and its town center and recognizes the boost the renovated Hearse House will bring to visitors and historians is encouraged to contribute to this effort. Contributions are tax exempt; checks should be made out to Chester Community Alliance, Inc., marked for the Hearse House, and sent to PO Box 561, Chester, VT 05143.

Historical Data. Anyone with pertinent pictures, memorabilia, or suggestions of people to interview or solicit for items of historical interest are urged to contact Suzy Forlie at 802-875-3634 or Lillian Willis at 802-875-1340. The plan is to do all research, collecting, and writing over the early winter months so the display material may be accounted for in the display design and properly exhibited after the building is restored.

Community Project. The Hearse House and Public Tomb are central to the Town of Chester, and public support is central to the success of this volunteer project. With financial and historical contributions, this project can become an inviting landmark in a remarkably short amount of time and can be a most positive attraction for residents, businesses, and visitors. Chester Townscape urges people to participate in this positive effort and to donate money and items of history as they can. Each and every contribution - big or small - will help to make the new Hearse House a reality and a symbol of a united, caring Chester.

Photo caption: The Hearse House, across from Chester's Village Green, sports a banner signifying that the campaign to complete the restoration of the building and the creation of its educational/informational center has begun. Contributions are needed and should be sent to the Chester Community Alliance, Inc., PO Box 561, Chester, VT 05143. Anyone with photos or other historical data is urged to contact Suzy Forlie at 802-875-3634 or Lillian Willis at 802-875-1340.