Help Preserve the Elmore Store

We are closing in on our goal to purchase the Elmore Store!  Please join us in our effort to keep this historic building and business that is the heart of our community beating for generations to come!

Thanks to the support of all of our donors to date, we’re in the home stretch of the first (acquisition) phase of our project. We are very excited to announce that a generous group of community members have offered to match any donation made through the end of 2021 up to $30,000. This means every dollar you donate will be doubled through the end of the year! If you’re interested in making your donation go even further, we would also suggest reaching out to your employer to see if they have a matching grant program for employee donations.  

We strongly believe that this project will only succeed with a broad range of support from the community.  We encourage you to reach out to us if you are interested in supporting the project at any level.  You can do so by going to our website elmorecommunitytrust.org

Please keep an eye out for future updates from the ECT in the coming months!


                                                            
The town of Elmore has a rich history of community, very much alive today in an age where many small towns are trying to re-create that feeling where it has been lost. Elmore is a town where neighbors help neighbors, and people show up for town meeting day each year to practice democracy and make decisions as a community. Our kids begin their education in the state’s last operating one-room schoolhouse, where families form lifelong bonds. Visitors come from all over, not only because it is beautiful (Elmore is known as “the beauty spot of Vermont”), but also because of how strongly that sense of community can be felt here. This is why we founded the Elmore Community Trust. 


The goal of the Elmore Community Trust is to care for places that make Elmore special, and to bring in the type of businesses, organizations, and residents that contribute positively to our vibrant rural community.


The Elmore Store is the first and most pressing project for the Elmore Community Trust.  The store is the heart of the community - it is the post office, a gathering place, local news hub, and a place to eat and pick up groceries. Most importantly, it is the central location that gives our small town its identity, and where you are sure to run into a neighbor. The success of this project is critical in maintaining Elmore’s sense of connection and togetherness, and truly deserves your support. 

The Elmore Store, situated on Lake Elmore, at the base of Elmore Mountain, has been in continuous operation since the early 1800s.   After running the store for 36 years, current owners Warren and Kathy Miller are ready to pass the torch to a new owner and operator.

Because the store represents the true heart of the rural community, residents of Elmore have decided to form a Community Trust - a 501(c)(3) non-profit. The Trust will purchase the store, renovate and preserve this historic town property, and rent it to the new business operator. 

The Elmore Community Trust is raising $500,000 to complete the project. This first phase of fundraising will go towards the purchase of the Elmore Store from Kathy Miller.  In the beginning of 2022, we will begin our second phase of fundraising which will be for necessary renovations, including a new septic system, improved walk-in cooler, climate control, and new public restroom facilities.

The Elmore Community Trust is working in partnership with the Preservation Trust of Vermont (PTV), and our model for the Elmore Store Project comes from PTV’s founder and Executive Director, Paul Bruhn (1947-2019). Paul led PTV for nearly 40 years and it is said by many that no person has done more to preserve the essential character of Vermont’s cities, towns, villages and landscapes.  Paul empowered and motivated Vermont citizens to take action to save and protect the built environment, town and village centers, gathering places, institutions and landscapes that make Vermont unique.  This model has been tested and proven by Preservation Trust’s work in other communities around Vermont, and keeps these general stores from closing down or being converted into less community-oriented uses.  The model allows the new operators to invest their money and time into creating a successful business and relieves them from the financial strain associated with maintaining an old building. Over time, rent paid to the Trust can be used for physical upgrades or invested in other community-based projects. 
Paul has inspired us, and we hope you will join us in this work to help make Elmore a strong community for years to come. 

Please support this project with a contribution on GoFundMe or via our website elmorecommunitytrust.org!


Please connect with us to learn more, and we can talk about other opportunities for contributing to this project and our community. Your support will help ensure the next generation enjoys the same beauty, community, and togetherness that makes Elmore such a special place in Vermont.