Developing the Next Generation of Construction Professionals and Entrepreneurs at the Judge Ripley House in Colebrook
Three preservation projects – each located in communities suffering from the decline in the forest products industry – are moving forward this spring thanks to grant funds awarded by the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance. The projects in Alstead, Lancaster and Colebrook each showcase the important synergies between historic preservation, economic development and community revitalization. The N.H. Preservation Alliance joined with its counterparts in Vermont, Maine and New York to create the Northeast Heritage Economy Program for historic properties in need of reinvestment, funded by the Northern Border Regional Commission
Developing the Next Generation of Construction Professionals and Entrepreneurs at the Judge Ripley House in Colebrook
The c.1870 Judge Ripley House in Colebrook. The use of cobblestones for its later wrap-around porch is a common architectural feature in the neighborhood.
Krista Rodrigue, a school board member and early project supporter, explains that "We have a lot of hands on learners in the North Country who learn by seeing and doing. We need students more than ever interested in the trades. The detailed effort it takes to do restoration work will give our students a leading edge as they enter the construction fields."
The Judge Ripley House was built about 1870 near the center of historic Colebrook village. It’s not an unusual type of building for the time period – a 1-1/2 story gable front house with a rear ell and carriage barn. However, the use of cobblestones on its later wrap-around porch is an architectural feature seen on other local homes and buildings. Vacant and suffering from deferred maintenance, the house was the subject of a recent Colebrook town meeting article that recommended it be demolished for parking. Voters rallied around preserving the house, and the Building Construction & Restoration Carpentry Program stepped in and offered its assistance.
The carriage barn at the Judge Ripley House is in need of restoration.
This innovative project couples two programs at Memorial High School in Canaan, Vermont, Building Construction & Restoration Carpentry and Business Administration & Technology, to provide students hands-on carpentry and historic building renovation learning opportunities, as well as contractor-related business skills, using the c.1870 Judge Ripley House and Carriage Barn in downtown Colebrook as a classroom job site. Broader educational offerings in the communities may include adult workshops and a summer program with assistance from local contractors in various building trades.
A two-year, half-day program available to juniors and seniors, the Building Construction & Restoration Carpentry Program is well-established and has completed numerous building rehabilitation projects in Vermont. The Colebrook project is its first classroom job site in New Hampshire.
Instructor Eugene Reid hopes that a project site in Colebrook will interest and attract more New Hampshire students to the program. He notes that "The opportunities that this project offers will give students entry level job skills in several trades. We are very fortunate to have local trades people who are willing and enjoy working with our students. Ultimately we will have a nicely restored home sitting on the tax role where it belongs."
Given this project’s dual-state focus, the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance partnered with the Preservation Trust of Vermont to award this grant.
To learn more about the Northern Border Regional Commission winners, click here.