Putney Historical Society

By Laurel Ellis, August 23, 2006

In our busy here and now it’s hard to imagine how different everything will be at some unknown time in the future. Today’s minor hardships could even be remembered with a touch of nostalgia for the related memories of simpler and otherwise happy times. Sometimes it’s someone else’s memory that enriches our sense of everyday life at a time and place we could never experience first hand. Like a good novel but much more real. Such was the feeling enjoyed when talking with Olive Frost in August, 2006. Read the entire post: Olive Frost

According to three documents written around 1953 for the first Putney town history, the beautiful brick building known as Pierce’s Hall was erected in 1831, “for a Methodist meeting house.”  It has a foundation of long, beam-shaped granite slabs hauled from West Dummerston, and the brick came from Timothy Underwood’s brickyard on River Road.  When the second meeting house was built in 1842, the Hall was sold to Leroy Pierce, “who used it for storage of corn, and kept sheep underneath the building.”  There are some records of dances held in the building earlier than 1873, and in 1880 Norman and Mary (Carr) Cobb celebrated their wedding at the Hall.  “It is stated that their six sons…drew their parents down in a sleigh from their home to the gala event.”  Around 1881, the building was refurbished for use as a meeting house. Read the entire post: Pierce’s Hall

Procedure adopted Oct. 19, 2005

a. Deaccessioning is the removal of an object from a museum’s permanent collection. It is a standard museum procedure, but it is a serious undertaking which requires careful consideration by both the staff and the Board of Trustees. The Putney Historical Society museum has deaccessioned objects from the permanent collections and will continue to do so in order to remain a viable institution. Read the entire post: Deaccessioning

• Ruth Barton, President ’11
• Tim Ragle, Vice President ’11
• Tom Jamison, Treasurer ’11
• Stuart Strothman, Secretary ’11
• Barry Stockwell ’12
• Betsy MacIsaac ’12
• Laurel Ellis ’12
• Lindley Speers ’12
• Lyssa Papazian ’11
• Barbara Taylor ’11
• Maryanne Toffolon ’11

This album is currently on display in the entry of the Putney Town Hall.  At the time of the dedication of the Putney Veteran’s Memorial in 2003,Laurel Ellis and Marilyn Loomis collected as many pictures as possible of men and women whose names are carved on the memorial. It was not possible to get pictures of all.

In 2006 Thera and Bob Hindmarsh proposed assembling these into an album and to add pictures of other men and women of Putney who have served in the military. Thera brought this idea to the Putney Fortnightly Club who agreed to take this on as a project

Laurel Ellis gave us the use of the cd that had most of the images on there.  Darrel Daley enhanced as best as possible some of the older pictures and had copies made.

This album is not complete.  The Putney Fortnightly Club and the Putney Historical Society have lots of space in this album for pictures of residents of Putney who have served in the military.  One does not have to have been born here.  If you have a picture please contact Marion Daley 387-5822, or:

Marion Daley
Putney Fortnightly Club
PO Box 445
Putney Vermont 05346