A new wayside exhibit celebrating the history of the Paper Mill Bridge in Bennington was installed on December 8. The informative panel tells how the Paper Mill was one of two possible sources for the paper on which the Vermont Constitution was printed. [private]
Water power was very important for the early industrialization of the region, and the natural waterfall at the site has been used for various dams since 1784. The last mill using the river for power stopped in 1950, and it was not until 2009 that an effort by the new owners Bill and Maria Scully to bring water power back was begun. The project was finally completed this past summer.
The Paper Mill Covered Bridge now has the added significance of being “a bridge from an industrial past to a green future” where the renewable hydro power from the dam will now be providing power to 200-plus homes in the area as well as a number of businesses and a new craft distillery. “Spirits of Old Bennington” started by Hoosick residents Alexis and Ken Lorenz that has opened on the same site.
Covered Bridges play an important part in both our history and are a popular draw for tourists. This handicap accessible exhibit is the second of two exhibits that were planned and implemented this year, with the first being at the Henry Covered Bridge earlier this past summer. The exhibits were the result of a grant written by Jonah Spivak as a volunteer for The Shires of Vermont Regional Marketing Organization and in cooperation with Bill and Maria Scully, the owners of the property. The grant was funded by the Champlain Valley National Heritage Program (CVNHP) for a cost of $2,100. The panel was installed by Bill Scully and Jonah Spivak. For more information about The Shires of Vermont, or grant opportunities though the CVNHP, please visit www.theshiresofvermont.com[/private]