Background

The building at 42 South Main Street in Hardwick, Vermont, formerly home to The Hardwick Gazette, was gifted to the Civic Standard and served as the organization’s first physical home. This timeline documents key milestones, discoveries, and decisions regarding 42 S. Main Street.  

 

Current Status 

• The Civic Standard is no longer occupying the building at 42 S. Main Street, the organization moved across the street to 39 S. Main Street in November 2025

• The organization started a Request for Proposals process in October 2025, seeking individuals or organizations who want to “maintain the building as a cultural and community asset to Hardwick,” and had many conversations with potentially interested parties.

• The building is currently participating in a FEMA buyout program

 

Timeline 

December 2021: After 100 years in residence, the Hardwick Gazette moved out 42 South Main St. The building was shut down, and sat empty.

 

May 2022: The Civic Standard established residence in and began paying all the carrying costs for the building. Large volunteer crews cleaned out and spruced up the building—taking many truckloads to the dump, painting, patching walls, and replacing and repairing fixtures. The staff and board immediately began investigating the history and needs of the property. The Preservation Trust of Vermont offered assistance and advice in order to begin gathering inspections and reports on the state of the building.

 

July 2023: Town-wide flooding washed away a significant portion of the property behind the building, exposing more of the foundation and decreasing the distance between the building and the river. PTV helped to fund a post-flood engineer’s report on the state of the building.

 

Following the July 2023 flood, a detailed assessment of the property revealed that 42 S Main Street is located in the floodway.

 

What is a floodway? 

A floodway is the channel of a watercourse and adjacent land areas that must remain free of obstruction so that the 100-year flood can be carried without substantial increases in flood heights. Development in floodways is heavily restricted by both federal and state regulations.

 

December 2023: The owners, Ray and Kim Small, donated the property at 42 South Main St. to The Civic Standard (a 501c3 organization). 

 

2024: The Civic staff and board continued to meet with The Preservation Trust of Vermont to collect the necessary reports and estimates needed for the priority areas as identified by both structural engineers and the insurance company. It became clear that the foundation would need to be stabilized or rebuilt entirely, the roof would need to be replaced, and the exterior would need to be repainted. 

 

Based on rough estimates from various contractors, the three base repairs (foundation stabilization and rebuild, exterior painting, and roof replacement) that would need to be completed to maintain insurance coverage would cost around $140,000. 

 

January 2024: The board discusses a Building Manager position to oversee the renovation of the building, and explores potential funding sources to support this position.

 

March 2024: The Civic Standard submits a grant application through Preservation Trust of Vermont for consideration by the 1772 Foundation, for foundation repair. The Civic Standard also explores a partnership with the Town of Hardwick to coordinate foundation work with the upcoming bridge repair. Work with an engineer begins to develop foundation rebuilding plans + plans continued.

 

June 2024: The Civic Standard is awarded a reimbursable 1772 grant for foundation work and a quote is received for exterior painting work, required by insurance. 

 

December 2024: PTV and the Freeman foundation award The Civic Standard a reimbursable grant of $100,000 towards the necessary repairs on the building.

 

February 2025: The Civic Standard enters 42 S. Main Street into the FEMA buyout program. The program covers the cost of demolishing the structure and returning the property to green space and floodplain. The Civic Standard maintains the ability to back out of the program at any time. The Civic Standard sends out a special edition of the weekly newsletter, updating the public on the situation of the building and the organization’s thought process, and inviting the public to ask questions and submit their thoughts.

 

April 2025: A public forum is held to discuss possible options for the building. Members from the Preservation Trust of Vermont, Hardwick’s zoning administrator, and the Civic Standard ED sat on the panel. A summary of the meeting can be found here.

 

June 2025: The Civic Standard publishes another newsletter including updates on the process, current feedback from the community on the state of the building, and the decision to pursue another building in town as a headquarters.

 

Throughout 2025: The Civic Standard pursues multiple paths simultaneously, including continued repair assessments and engineering work for 42 S. Main St, the purchasing process of 39 S. Main St, and an engagement and dialogue with the community regarding the building and its requirements. This included statewide publicity in two Vermont Digger articles in March and November.

 

October 2025: A call for Letters of Interest, welcoming individuals and organizations to submit proposals to occupy and steward 42 S. Main as a cultural and community asset. No Letters of Intent are received by the deadline of December 1st, 2025.

 

2026: 42 S. Main St continues to be enrolled in the FEMA buyout program, with an unknown timeline for demolition.