08/18/2025
Let’s save Mount Holly’s venerable Will White Blacksmith Shop Museum
Dear Mount Holly friends and neighbors...The Will White Blacksmith Shop has lost its bearings and desperately needs repair. We need your support to save and preserve this historic building, a cornerstone of our community. Built in the mid 19th century, The Will White building functioned as a blacksmith shop from the mid 1800s to the 1930s. Subsequently, it became a tea room operated by his daughter Mildred. This was an informal spot for people to gather and spread the local news. In later years, the building was occupied by J. Warner Edminster, a “traveling druggist” who made his own concoctions, and printed the apothecary labels using a printing press he had acquired. In 1969 the building became the original Community Historical Museum. In addition to the blacksmith forge and tools, the building houses an extensive collection that includes: apothecary and household items, early Crowley Cheese making equipment, a working printing press, the 1920s post office boxes used in the village, a beautiful antique surrey (carriage), and a restored sleigh. These and many other items depict the way people lived and worked. Although significant repairs were done in the 1990s, over time the Blacksmith Shop’s structural integrity has sustained extensive damage from deficient drainage and flooding in the creek that runs behind it. Using a grant from the Preservation Trust of Vermont, we obtained an engineer’s report that highlighted the urgent need for repairs to the deteriorating framework that supports the building. Based on subsequent estimates, we are seeking to raise $150,000 to complete this al restoration project. This amount will enable us to complete the essential repairs to the foundation, stabilize the building structure, replace the roof, floor and siding, as well as repair windows. This will ensure the long term preservation of our collection and the museum’s sustainability. In addition, these repairs will allow us to upgrade the exhibit spaces and improve accessibility. The Mount Holly Community Historical Museum is a 501c3 non-profit all volunteer organization. We encourage everyone to visit our Perkins House and The Will White Blacksmith Shop Museums, and appreciate the significance of these historic buildings and the wonderful collections they contain. To schedule a tour of the museums please call Dennis at 802-259-2460. Your generous contributions will help us secure the future of the Blacksmith Shop ensuring that it continues to inspire and educate generations to come.
Your donation will have a profound impact. Thank you for your support.
DONATION LINK:
By Mount Holly Community Historical Museum
