BELLOWS FALLS — On Thursday, Nov. 10, from 6 to 8 p.m., David Schutz, curator of the Vermont State House, and Tom Slayton, writer and former editor of Vermont Life magazine, will be at the Rockingham Free Public Library to celebrate the Windham County launch and signing of “Intimate Grandeur, Vermont's State House.”
The evening will be hosted by the Friends of the Rockingham Library in the third-floor meeting room.
The beauty of Vermont's State House is coupled with the legislative history of the Green Mountain State in the newly-published book by the Friends of the Vermont State House, according to a news release. Authored by Nancy Price Graff and David Schutz, the 120-page volume includes a foreword by Tom Slayton. Photographs by photojournalist Jeb Wallace-Brodeur feature important archival aspects of the building's exterior architecture and interior features.
The building began as an unremarkable wooden edifice in 1808 and graduated to a granite facade in 1838, only to be destroyed by fire in 1857. Doric portico columns, the sole remains from the fire, were incorporated in the third life of the building, which included the addition of the famous 100-ton dome.
Former Governor Madeleine Kunin writes, “The Vermont State House is a small and shiny gem. It is a living museum, filled with the sights and sounds of democracy.... This book is a beautiful testament to Vermont's rich history."
This program is free, open to the public, and handicapped accessible. Proceeds from book sales will support library youth programming that encourages civic engagement. The soft-cover book sells for $24.96 and the hard-cover for $39.95. Light refreshments will be served.