Hi, spring is right around the corner. It has been a busy first couple of months. I am helping the CorpWell Foundation’s new executive director, Donna Price, develop a fundraising strategy for the restoration and repurposing of the chapel. We applied for a 1772 Foundation Grant and are working on other grant applications.

One of my first priorities is to read as much as possible about the history of the North Clarendon Chapel. The Historical Society of Clarendon has an abundance of photos and documents on their website that illuminate the town’s history. The church history section includes several entries about the chapel’s history. In 2017, Joan Bixby posted to the society’s website the cover of the 1980 town report along with a short history of the chapel that appeared in the report. The cover features a drawing of the chapel by Marilyn Verna Candish (copied below). I asked historical society president Bob Underhill if he remembers Marilyn Verna Candish. He does not, but perhaps other people in the Clarendon area do recall her.

I look forward to attending the historical society’s April meeting to meet Bob in person. He has been very helpful these first couple of months in answering questions over email. Bob is going to lend me a copy of the 1913 book History of Baptists of Vermont so I can take a deep dive into the larger history behind the chapel.

Here on my West Haven Farm, I’ve started Rudbeckia and other flowers. I plan to plant some in front of the chapel, adding to the tulips and grape hyacinth Ellen Whooley planted in 2024. If anyone is interested in helping Ellen and me expand the plantings around the chapel, please reach out.

Scott