Bennington RAHC rehabilitates historic building on South Street

12:00AM / Wednesday, September 19, 2001Print Story | Email Story

The Bennington Regional Affordable Housing Corporation (RAHC) recently finished another major housing rehabilitation project, this time at 501-507 South Street in Bennington, Vt. The completed project, with a total price tag of almost $800,000, will provide nine units of living space, in a variety of configurations. â€œThis has been a very successful project,â€ said Dianne Binnick, executive director of RAHC. â€œAs of today, seven of nine units have been occupied, and we expect an eighth to be filled this morning. This project includes four one-bedroom units, two two-bedroom units, two three-bedroom units and one four-bedroom unit, so we have quite a variety of opportunities here.â€ Like many RAHC housing opportunities, 501-507 South Street is a mixed-income initiative, meaning that people with a variety of economic circumstances may qualify for the affordably-priced rental housing. â€œWe have an excellent group of people living here so far, and I think they reflect a true cross-section of our community,â€ said Binnick. â€œWe have five single moms, making our adult-to-child ratio almost equal. ... We have 13 adults and 12 kids. â€œBut we also have two single folks. We have an apprentice electrician and a woman who works in the nursing field. We also have people who work in retail and at local restaurants, and we even have a staff member here at RAHC who will be living in one of the units. â€œItâ€™s important for people to understand that affordable housing is an option for many people, and should not carry the stigma it sometimes does. Lack of affordable housing is an important issue that many families and individuals face, in Vermont and elsewhere. Taking advantage of these opportunities often helps families and individuals time to get back on their feet.â€ Binnick noted that RAHC also provides opportunities for people with disabilities or other special needs. The Bennington-based nonprofit has in the past several years rehabilitated an historic elementary school into a senior housing facility, built new a series of affordable-housing apartments in Manchester, Vt., and has done extensive rehabilitation projects on Benmont Avenue in Bennington. This summer they announced an extensive upcoming project that will transform a cluster of historic buildings in downtown Arlington, Vt. to variety of senior and affordable housing. Project details Located right on the cusp of downtown Bennington, on the west side of U.S. Route 7 just north of the Salvation Army building in a residential/commercial district, 501-507 South Street was an attractive property because of the extensive wooded area directly behind it, making future development unlikely. â€œWhile being close to amenities downtown, it has a significant amount of privacy, especially the units toward the back of the building,â€ said Binnick. The building also contains some extra amenities such as an on-site laundry room. The project was financed with the help of one local investor, the Bank of Bennington, which provided Tax-Exempt Bond Financing. Low-Income Housing Tax Credits were provided through the Vermont Housing Finance Agency, and additional funding came from the Vermont Housing Conservation Board. â€œItâ€™s nice when you can claim both public and private investors â€” when both know how important it is to invest in our community.â€ Construction work on the building, which was in poor condition before the renovation, began last fall. Some additional finishing work is being done before the end of fall. Historical significance RAHC often tries to restore properties that have historic significance, both socially and architecturally. The historic nature of the buildings can make additional funding available from state and federal institutions. As part of the rehabilitation, Binnick said RAHC has â€œgone through all of the necessary procedures to include this property on the National Register of Historic Places.â€ She added that this designation would increase the possibility of Historic Tax Credits available to offset the cost of maintaining the building in the future. The 501-507 South Street building contains three separate sections, plus a garage that was added on in the 1930s. Although an exact date for construction of the original building remains elusive, town property records show that the property was first purchased in 1798 by farmer Stephen Pratt, one of the largest landowners in Bennington at the time. It stayed within the Pratt family for three generations, until being sold to Thomas McDaniels in 1838, an in-law of the Pratt family and an entrepreneur who initiated many of the industrial enterprises. Binnick says estimates and comparisons with similarly-designed buildings in the region date the Federal-style original house to around 1800. The original building is made in the lofty Federal style, including a full pediment with attenuated cornice moldings and prominent, reeded pilasters. The north wing of the building, thought to have been built by McDaniels in the 1840s as his family grew in size, is in the Greek Revival style. A west wing to the rear of the house is a truncated version of what was once a connector between the main house and a barn or outbuildings, now demolished. In 1913, the house was purchased by John LaFlamme, a French Canadian who had ties to the local industry. LaFlamme subdivided the house to serve the needs of his large extended family, many of whom worked in the local mills and shops. The house stayed in the LaFlamme family until it became too much to keep up. Binnick noted that one of LaFlammeâ€™s descendants will be living in the rehabilitated house. â€œWeâ€™re quite proud of that fact,â€ she said. RAHCâ€™s report to the National Register notes that the original building â€œdisplays Federal details, which are unusually elegant for the area.â€ â€œWeâ€™re proud to have kept all the historical details intact,â€ said Binnick. â€œThe unique trim on the exterior, the doors, the roofing, have all been retained.â€ The project cost of $797,000 includes both the acquisition and rehabilitation of the building, as well as a small sum of money set aside for repairs and other incidentals. RAHC can be contacted at (802) 442-8139.

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McCann Recognizes Superintendent Award Recipient

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
05:32PM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Landon LeClair and Superintendent James Brosnan with Landon's parents Eric and Susan LeClair, who is a teacher at McCann.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Superintendent's Award has been presented to Landon LeClair, a senior in McCann Technical School's advanced manufacturing course.

The presentation was made last Thursday by Superintendent Jame Brosnan after Principal Justin Kratz read from teachers' letters extolling LeClair's school work, leadership and dedication.

"He's become somewhat legendary at the Fall State Leadership Conference for trying to be a leader at his dinner table, getting an entire plate of cookies for him and all his friends," read Kratz to chuckles from the School Committee. "Landon was always a dedicated student and a quiet leader who cared about mastering the content."

LeClair was also recognized for his participation on the school's golf team and for mentoring younger teammates.

"Landon jumped in tutoring the student so thoroughly that the freshman was able to demonstrate proficiency on an assessment despite the missed class time for golf matches," read Kratz.

The principal noted that the school also received feedback from LeClair's co-op employer, who rated him with all fours.

"This week, we sent Landon to our other machine shop to help load and run parts in the CNC mill," his employer wrote to the school. LeClair was so competent the supervisor advised the central shop might not get him back.

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