The General Stannard House Committee

The Committee is a public community-based group formed in July 2014, sponsored by the Milton Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization. We meet regularly and welcome new members at any time. Contact us for meeting times or more information.

Mission

The Committee’s mission is to properly recognize, honor and publicize the extraordinary contributions of Major General George J. Stannard to the State of Vermont and the United States of America, primarily through his service in the American Civil War, by rehabilitating and repurposing his farmhouse in Milton, Vermont as an educational heritage tourism attraction.

Goal & Vision

Our Vision is to relocate the General Stannard House from its current location and create a sustainable Civil War Historic Site highlighting Gen. Stannard’s crucial role in the Union victory at the Battle of Gettysburg, and Vermont's significant role in the conflict. The restored General Stannard House can serve as a key site on the heritage tourism Vermont in the Civil War Heritage Trail, showcasing the rich history found along Vermont's Route 7 corridor, extending the entire length of the state.

We welcome expansions on these ideas as well as new voices, at any time! Contact us to join the discussion.

A Three-Phase Approach

Our Conditions Assessment includes three phases of the Project - Stabilization / Rehabilitation / Utilization. This states specific needs while organizing and prioritizing, allocating time to choose and approve future decisions.

1) Stabilization - Protect the building (roof – water/snow, foundation, trouble areas). Removal of non-historic garage addition. During and after, time is available to finalize what can and should be done to achieve final Vision. (Temporary protective membrane roof applied in 2016, with special thanks to A.C. Hathorne Roofing Co. and Bob Miller)

2) Rehabilitation - Construct and adapt physical site as needed to achieve Vision.

3) Utilization - The Vision. Details, construction and development of interpretation materials are completed. The Assessment organizes and prioritizes our tasks and choices. The Vision is not possible unless we first secure the building and prevent further deterioration or collapse. After that we will continue to consult the local community and interested parties as phases are completed, to ensure we return a wonderful cultural asset to the public.

The Vermont in the Civil War Heritage Trail

Since January 2017, statewide sites and stakeholders have met in several locations from Bennington to Saint Albans, and the Vermont in the Civil War Heritage Trail was launched in August 2017.

https://www.vtcivilwarheritage.net/

Listing of Trail Sites, August 2017

Beginning at Southern portion of the trail, focused on the Route 7 corridor:
  1. Bennington Museum - many Civil war stories and artifacts. Large, famous statues and sculptures. Perhaps most importantly, this is where William Lloyd Garrison, young newspaperman, started the anti-slavery Journal of the Times in 1828. This later became the impetus for the entire anti-slavery movement, the famous The Liberator, published 1831-1865.
  2. Manchester - The Lincoln Family Home; was the summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln and his wife Mary Harlan Lincoln.
  3. Brandon - birthplace of Stephen Douglas, the Great Debater and Lincoln’s opponent in 1860 election. Vermont went for Lincoln by a 6 to 1 margin in the election.
  4. Middlebury - famous public address site, the Congregational Church, Wm. Lloyd Garrison, and Middlebury College.
  5. Vergennes - deep connections to Abolitionist John Brown. Long stop, large crowd attending Brown’s funeral procession back to his North Elba, NY farm for burial. Frequent trading visits, with his 20 children over the years.
  6. Panton - ferry crossing to NY State for John Brown’s body. Arnold’s Bay.
  7. Ferrisburgh - Rokeby Museum, Underground Railroad. Also, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. (some nice pieces and dioramas of Civil War Battles, as well as the more famous Battles of Plattsburgh, etc.) Ferrisburgh Park has historic marker for Frederick Douglass' speech at Town Hall in July 1843.
  8. Shelburne - the incomparable Shelburne Museum. Some early connections with the Webbs and Shelburne Farms as well.
  9. Shelburne Road, Burlington - Price Chopper Shopping Plaza. North end of plaza (TJ Maxx, etc.) is built on site of former Baxter Military Hospital. Some mentions of graves there, as well?
  10. Burlington - Battery Park and statue of Gen. Wm Wells, Lakeview Cemetery with monuments for Stannard and Otis Howard, Stannard homes, John Lonergan’s Fenians drilling in Battery Park, Benedict House (Benedict was a famous historian, and publisher and owner of The Burlington Free Press for 40 years), Wm. Wells and Otis Howard homes.
  11. Milton - General Stannard House, Milton Historical Museum with soldiers’ monument including listing of William Scott of Groton, VT, “The Sleeping Sentinel”.
  12. Georgia - Monument and birthplace of General George Jerrison Stannard.
  13. St. Albans - Terrific Historical Society Museum, Taylor Park, many buildings original to Civil War, One Federal/The Foundry Restaurant/ former foundry of George Stannard, all the connections to and details of the famous St. Albans Raid of October 1864.
  14. Sheldon Road - (current VT 105) escape route for Confederate Raiders 1864, including the wooden bridge they attempted to burn. Escapees fled into Canada through Highgate, VT.

Special mention might be made concerning John Brown’s home and farm in North Elba, NY as well as Whitehall, NY as Birthplace of US Navy.
This compilation owes special thanks to Howard Coffin’s Something Abides.

Please contact Terry Richards with any Trail-related questions or comments, at 802-893-6791 or [email protected].