The Firehouse Gallery was originally built as the
Ethan Allen Firehouse on Church Street,
Burlington, VermontBurlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. With a population of 38,889 at the 2000 census, the city is the core of one of the nation's smaller metropolitan areas, and is also the smallest U.S. city to be the largest city in its state...
in 1889. In 1927 the Burlington Police Department took over the building for 40 years. It is now owned by the non-profit Burlington City Arts Association.
This five story building represents a work of art. The arts are big business, and Burlington has a large arts community.
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The Firehouse Gallery was originally built as the
Ethan Allen Firehouse on Church Street,
Burlington, VermontBurlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. With a population of 38,889 at the 2000 census, the city is the core of one of the nation's smaller metropolitan areas, and is also the smallest U.S. city to be the largest city in its state...
in 1889. In 1927 the Burlington Police Department took over the building for 40 years. It is now owned by the non-profit Burlington City Arts Association.
This five story building represents a work of art. The arts are big business, and Burlington has a large arts community. Renovating the old building into a city-owned five story art gallery opened a world of possibilities to artists and art lovers. It is expected to include classrooms, a community darkroom and eventually, a library, a lecture hall and space for an artist-in-residence to mentor budding sculptors, painters and photographers.
The Art Gallery has been restored to its 19th century design. Even the original bell was returned to the very top of the old firehouse. The firehouse project was dealt a blow when serious structural damage was discovered and added a million dollars to the cost. This is a $3.5 million project.
The restoration project was supposed to cost $900,000. Vermont Senator
Patrick LeahyPatrick Joseph Leahy is the senior United States Senator from Vermont. He is a member of the Democratic Party, the first and only Democratic United States Senator in Vermont's history, the current chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and has the distinction of being the first and only...
helped secure five-hundred thousand dollars in federal funds, under the
Save America's TreasuresSave America's Treasures is a United States Federal initiative to preserve and protect American historic buildings, arts, and published works. It is a public-private partnership between the U.S. National Park Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation...
grant program. Burlington City Arts operates the building and upgraded the building to use it for exhibits, lectures, and educational programs. Construction costs and the amount of time to renovate the building went up when major structural problems were found in the former firehouse.
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