Two nonprofits are now sharing space in one of Fayston’s oldest buildings, the 1903 Number Nine Schoolhouse, as part of a broader plan to restore and repurpose the historic structure for community benefit.
The Catamount Trail Association, which promotes backcountry skiing along Vermont’s 300-mile Catamount Trail, has officially joined the Northern Forest Canoe Trail as a tenant in the schoolhouse, located near Mill Brook Road and Number Nine Hill Road.
“It’s pretty cool that the schoolhouse is now home to organizations that value education, stewardship and the outdoors,” said Kevin Russell, founder and president of Friends of the Number Nine Schoolhouse, Inc. (FNNS), the nonprofit that purchased the building earlier this year. “They’re both a great fit for what this space is about.”
The Northern Forest Canoe Trail, which has leased space in the building since 2021, was the first nonprofit to set up operations there. Executive director Karrie Thomas attended a 2020 presentation Russell gave to the Fayston Select Board outlining his vision for the building. She later reached out to pursue a lease, and the group has since made the east side of the lower floor its home.
Earlier this month, the Catamount Trail Association moved into the west side of the lower floor. According to Russell, the organization will have two to three employees working three to four days a week, complementing the Canoe Trail’s lighter, often seasonal presence.
“It’s a unique collaboration,” Russell said. “The organizations have different seasonal peaks, which helps keep activity in the building year-round.”
The new tenancy marks the latest step in a years-long effort to preserve and revitalize the schoolhouse. FNNS purchased the property from the Burley family at the end of August for $117,500 – half its appraised value – in what’s known as a bargain sale. The Burleys, who had owned the building for 60 years, were committed to seeing the structure remain a community asset.
Built in 1903, the two-room schoolhouse served as an educational center for Fayston’s District 9 until 1963. That year, architect Robert Burley – then a senior designer on the Gateway Arch in St. Louis – bought the building and transformed it into the headquarters of his firm, the Burley Partnership.
FNNS plans to fully restore the building while maintaining nonprofit office space on the first floor. Upstairs, the original classroom will be converted into a multi-use community room. Possible uses include meetings, art classes, music lessons, and wellness programs. A programs and events committee is currently gathering input and planning open houses to hear from residents.
Andrea Henderson, an FNNS board member and longtime conservation advocate in Fayston, said the vision is to create an accessible space that reflects The Valley’s grassroots energy.
“This could be a place where groups like the Mad River Backcountry Coalition can gather, or where we host events for the Bear Initiative, or the Garden Club,” Henderson said. “It’s about supporting the work that’s already happening here.”
FNNS has launched a startup fundraising campaign, with a goal of raising $25,000 by year’s end and $150,000 over the next three years to reduce the mortgage. An additional $250,000 is projected for long-term building restoration, based on a preservation assessment supported by the Preservation Trust of Vermont.
Twenty percent of all fundraising will go into a reserve fund to support future upkeep. The nonprofit has also established three working committees – buildings and grounds, outreach and marketing, and programs and events – to help guide its next steps.
“If all goes well,” Russell said, “we envision the upstairs classroom opening for community use by mid-2026.”
You might also like
