Southern Vermont Arts Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Yester House
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| Location | 930 Southern Vermont Arts Center Dr., Manchester, Vermont |
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| Area | 55 acres (22 ha) |
| Built | 1917 |
| Architect | Murphy & Dana |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 88002051 |
| Added to NRHP | November 10, 1988 |
The Southern Vermont Arts Center is a cool place in Manchester, Vermont, where you can explore many different types of art. It's located on what used to be a big country home called Yester House. This center has art galleries with both permanent and changing art shows. It also has the biggest sculpture park in the area, a place for performances, and classrooms for learning about art. You can even visit the grounds for fun activities like hiking and cross-country skiing. The whole area where the center is located is a special historic site.
Contents
History of the Arts Center Campus
The land where the Southern Vermont Arts Center now stands was once a farm and a forest owned by the Orvis family. In 1916, a couple named William and Gertrude Divine Ritter from Columbus, Ohio, decided to build a summer home there.
Building the Yester House Estate
The Ritters hired an architecture company from New York City, called Murphy and Dana, to design the main buildings for their estate. This included a large house with 28 rooms, built in the Colonial Revival style. This big house is now known as the Yester House Gallery.
Changes in Ownership and Purpose
It seems the Ritters separated while the estate was being built and later got divorced. Gertrude Divine Ritter kept the property. She soon married again, to Hugh Webster. Mrs. Webster loved to use the estate for parties and to show off her art collection. She had more than 6,000 pieces of beautiful hand-blown glass!
Mrs. Webster hoped her house would become a museum for her collections one day. However, after she passed away in 1947, her art was sold at an auction, and the property was put up for sale.
Becoming an Arts Center
In 1950, a group called Southern Vermont Artists, Inc. bought the property. They started turning it into the arts center you see today, beginning with summer art shows. Since then, the campus has grown to include a modern art gallery, an outdoor stage for performances, and a special building for art education.
Images for kids
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The beautiful Yester House, now part of the Southern Vermont Arts Center.
