After Waitsfield created a General Wait House Task Force in 2021 to study what actions should be taken whether to sell or restore the building, significant upkeep has happened at the historic property.
At the recommendation of the task force, the town created a General Wait House Commission that first met in January 2024. Since that meeting, the commission has been working on restoring the building.
Major accomplishments this summer, according to commission member AnnMarie Harmon, with the help of $100,000 from the town of Waitsfield, a new aluminum tile roof was installed by East Coast Metal Roofing. Made with 95% recycled material, it has the texture of a cedar shake shingle roof and it comes with a lifetime warranty.
“In addition to the new roof, the entire building, barns and all, were painted this summer by Aaron Kielich of Village Restoration. The shutters, clapboards, plaster, and many other items were restored by commissioners Gib Geiger and Richard Backus. A new furnace is expected to be installed by Pring Plumbing and Heating next week,” said Harmon, who is also the vice-chair of the Waitsfield Planning Commission.
The General Wait House Commission meets (generally) on the first Monday of the month at from 5 to 6:15. There are currently two vacancies, one on the short-term committee overseeing the building’s restoration and one vacancy on the long-term committee focusing on long-term planning and fundraising. Those with an interest in historic preservation who would like to volunteer can contact town administrator York Haverkamp (
For those who did not know (or who knew and have forgotten) Waitsfield is named after its founder, General Benjamin Wait, the Revolutionary War hero who also fought in the French and Indian War and the conflict between the Green Mountain Boys against New York. In 1782, the sovereign nation of the Republic of Vermont granted a charter to General Wait to begin settling Waitsfield. Waitsfield still has the original home of its namesake located on Route 100 next to Waitsfield Elementary School.
The ground floor of General Wait’s house, built in 1793, was relocated to its current position sometime in the 1830s and shortly following a second floor was built. Ownership of the house went through several families until in 1995 the town purchased the building with the help of a $200,000 grant from the Federal Transportation Enhancement Fund (ISTEA) and $50,000 raised by the Waitsfield Historical Society.
After the town purchased the building, The Burley Partnership of Waitsfield was retained to conduct research and lead the restoration of the house. Since then, the ground floor was returned as much as possible to its original plan and is currently used as a museum thanks to the Waitsfield Historical Society. The remaining spaces have been leased to various community-based nonprofits.
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