Chandler Breaks Ground

Rebecca McMeekin, left, and Janet Watton, respectively the executive director and board president of the Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph, celebrate with other Chandler board members at Saturday's groundbreaking for a $3.2-million expansion and renovation of the 101-year-old arts center. Work will begin this summer and is expected to be finished in September of 2010. About 650 donors contributed during the two years of the fund drive, and Randolph, Braintree, and Brookfield all pledged public money toward the centennial project. Photography by Bob Eddy

on $3.2 Million Upgrade

With almost $3 million received or promised—money raised in the midst of a tough recession—the Chandler Center for the Arts broke ground Saturday for a $3.2-million renovation and expansion of the 101-year-old, town-owned building.

Some 650 people have contributed to the centennial project, with the largest amount coming from the Town of Randolph itself to provide for code modernization, energy efficiency, sprinkling, etc.

As 100 people crowded onto the sidewalk in front of the building Saturday, Chandler Board President Janet Watton introduced and thanked town and federal officials who supported the project, including all three Vermont representatives in Congress.

First, however, she turned to a personage whom she identified as Col. Albert B. Chandler, the Randolph-born communications magnate who, with just a high school education, rose to become one of the leading figures of the age of telegraphic communication.

The alleged Col. Chandler reminisced about his turn-of-the-century conversations with Robert Kimball, which resulted in Kimball building the library and Chandler building the Music Hall and adjacent Parish Hall.

The results of his gift have given him great pleasure, he said:

“This music hall, gallery, and meeting space, now owned by the town of Randolph itself, have been so well embraced by the populace as to become a beacon throughout the entire state of Vermont, a witness to the power of artistic endeavor that has here found a home, and a witness also to the power of a community that has made this modest gift of mine blossom and bloom beyond all my expectations.”

“Today, he concluded, “the time has come to expand the legacy, welcoming new partners to the great enterprise. It is time to build for the next 100 years.”

With that, the alleged benefactor handed an alleged golden shovel to Watton for the official breaking of ground.

Six Years of Planning

Watton, for her part, recalled a meeting of the Chandler board at her home six years ago, on January 11, 2003 for a brainstorming session. With the building’s centennial approaching in 2007, they began to plan the changes that would be needed to take the venerable building through the next century of service.

After dozens of meetings and two years of focused fundraising, she said, “we now proudly stand here with this shovel in hand, ready to celebrate.”

She introduced the design team that has helped put together the final plans—Architect Tom Bachmann, Bill Baumann of Dubois & King, Tim Branstetter of Bethel Mills, town liaison Larry Richburg, and Doug Gorton of the contracting firm Naylor and Breen Builders.

Turning to the alleged Col. Chandler, Watton pledged, “You built us a marvelous music hall, and we intend to keep it marvelous.”

Next to speak was Maggie Gendron, aide to Sen. Patrick Leahy, who just the week before announced he had secured a federal grant of $250,000 for the centennial project. Also speaking briefly were Jeffrey Munger, aide to Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Tricia Coates, aide to Rep. Peter Welch.

No Aides

The best laugh of the day then went to State Rep. and Selectboard Chair Larry Townsend, who apologized for not being able to send an aide, showing up himself, instead.

State Rep. Patsy French and State Sen. Mark MacDonald also congratulated Chandler and spoke of their appreciation for having such a fine arts building in a small town. Eric Gilbertson represented the Preservation Trust of Vermont.

Musical entertainment was provided by Ken’s Barbershop Quartet, which offered a send-up of a traditional tune with some new words, courtesy of Tom Schersten: “It’s a pleasure and a treat/To come in and take a seat/At Chandler Music Hall.”

Schematic drawings and scale models of the improvements to be made were available in the lobby. Construction is scheduled to start this summer and be completed in the fall of 2010.

The first order of business is the stabilization of the bank behind Chandler to be able to support a three-story addition in the back of the building.

Other improvements include bringing the building up to modern code compliance, adding technical improvements and modern rest rooms, and making the two parts of the building more conveniently connected with new crossover points.

The historic interior of the Music Hall and lobby itself, however, will be virtually untouched.