Project Summary: When I became aware that the 154 year old brick train depot in New Haven Junction had to be removed or destroyed in 2021, I realized that this event had tremendous historical importance to the town of New Haven, the county of Addison and the State of Vermont. It was, after all, a piece of local history that had sat next to the railroad tracks ever since most of the living residents of the town
could remember. It was on the National Historical Building Registry. It was part of the history of the original Rutland Railroad Company and the Bristol Railroad spur that ran from 1890-1930 between the Junction and Bristol, Vermont.
When the Select Board of New Haven committed itself to saving the historic structure from demolition, it was obvious to me that this was history in the making. I felt compelled to become involved in the event. Since I lived only a few hundred yards from the site where the depot stood, it was easy for me to be a witness to the process of moving it 1.6 miles overland in one piece from its original site to its new, permanent home in the center of New Haven village.
I was there every day, for two and one half months, taking over 1,500 photos of the process of readying the depot for its cross country trip. I watched it go down Route 7 and up Route 17 on a minus 35 degree morning, cross a farmer’s cornfield for a week, then go down North Street in New Haven village to its new home next to the Town Office building. I documented just how that was done in a 48 minute slide show utilizing 530 photos with a musical sound track.
The project is a diamond in the rough; now it needs a more objective point of view, and much more professional hand, to polish it into a gemstone documenting an historic event for all future generations to see and hear. I would like to work with someone who can help me accomplish that goal. Then I could be proud to share the final cut with all those institutions and societies that archive such historically significant materials in their collections such as Sheldon Museum, Middlebury College, UVM, Vermont Historical Society, and Vermont Folk Life Center. I would be proud to take the project on the road and show it to interested groups around the State. If possible, I would like to distribute copies of it commercially as well.
I have produced this project completely on a voluntary basis thus far with my own money and time invested. I have done as much as I can do with my limited knowledge and technology. I wish to add a narrative component to the final product as I will not be around forever and without a narration, much of the significance of the presentation will be lost.
Please contact Bernie Noble at actr600@gmavt.net if interested in this opportunity. A small stipend has been offered although this has been an all volunteer effort and all expenses have been out of pocket.