BROWNINGTON — The next time you visit the Old Stone House Museum in person or online, you may notice something has changed.
The museum recently launched a new brand, website, and logo to match the new direction on which it has embarked.
Molly Veysey, the Executive Director of the Old Stone House Museum & Historic Village, says work to revitalize the institution began with the hiring of new staff, and efforts are ongoing to enlist a growing group of accomplished advisors.
To better connect with the Northeast Kingdom community and beyond, work on the museum’s brand began in Fall 2020 in partnership with Flek Inc. of St. Johnsbury.
This work was made possible due to funding from the Northern Community Investment Corporation.
“We are excited to emerge in our region as the hub of culture, community, and education we know we can be,” Veysey said. “Our new image reflects this energy. We’re staying true to our mission of preservation, education, and inspiration. This mission means now, more than ever, serving as a community resource that can provide essential services and spark dialogue on inequality in our shared society.”
The Old Stone House Museum & Historic Village takes its new direction from the example of Alexander Lucius Twilight, the innovative educator who built the monumental Old Stone House dormitory at the heart of the village.
Noted for being the first African American graduate of any United States college or university (Middlebury College in 1823), Mr. Twilight also was the first African American to be elected to the Vermont House of Representatives (in 1836).
Efforts this past year by museum staff and volunteers resulted in the Vermont State House designating September 23 as Alexander Twilight Day.
United States Representative Peter Welch also read his own remembrance of Mr. Twilight into the Congressional Record before sharing it at a ceremony for the first officially designated Alexander Twilight Day this past September.
The new brand reflects not only the legacy of Mr. Twilight but also the museum’s efforts at becoming a regional hub and community gathering place, according to Veysey.
Despite a pandemic, this past year saw the construction of the new Twilight Educational Trail, the completion of pandemic safe educational and family programs, the installation of a new state roadside marker recognizing Mr. Twilight, the addition of Brownington’s own WiFi HotSpot, and the delivery of nutritious foods to local food banks from the museum’s Giving Gardens.
Veysey says that 2021 promises to be a big year.
The museum will begin work to interpret trails at Willoughby State Forest’s Civilian Conservation Corps Camp S-55, install a new Alexander Twilight exhibit, expand its Giving Gardens, add new educational and adult programs, and much more.
“The momentum leading to our new brand’s launch has brought new partnerships and ideas to one of our region’s most important historical places,” Carmen Jackson, Old Stone House Museum & Historic Village Board of Trustees President, said. “We’re not just looking to spark our own community but to create new opportunities for people in our local region and beyond.”
Jackson went on to say that they believe this starts with an emphasis on Mr. Twilight and Brownington being the home of his choice, saying it makes the grounds the physical manifestation of the man.
The Old Stone House Museum & Historic Village is located in the Brownington Historic District just off Hinman Settler’s Road.
The museum is open from May 15, to October 15, 11:00-5:00 p.m., Wednesday-Sunday.
For more information, call 802-754-2022 or visit www.OldStoneHouseMuseum.org.
