The Chapel 1871 project is moving forward — and picking up speed.

As CorpWell Foundation’s flagship preservation project in Vermont, Chapel 1871 in North Clarendon represents everything we believe about historic places: that they are not relics, but living resources with the potential to teach, connect, and serve communities for generations to come.

This spring, we have meaningful progress to share — across leadership, funding, building safety, and community partnerships.

New Leadership, Renewed Momentum

CorpWell Foundation has welcomed two new part-time Executive Directors to lead this work forward. Donna Price joined as Executive Director of CorpWell Foundation, and Scott Hertzberg stepped in as Executive Director of Clarendon Heritage — the project organization driving the Chapel 1871 effort — in December 2025. Together with founder and Founding Board Chair Dr. Nicolette Asselin, they are building the operational and governance infrastructure to sustain and grow this work for the long term.

We are also actively recruiting new board members for CorpWell Foundation — leaders who bring expertise in historic preservation, nonprofit governance, finance, law, fundraising, and community development. If you believe historic places should serve living communities, we’d love to hear from you.

Grants in Motion

Two grant applications are currently in process:

We have submitted a $10,000 grant application to the 1772 Foundation to fund exterior restoration and painting of Chapel 1871 — one of the highest-priority needs identified in the building’s architectural assessment. The required $10,000 match is in place, and we are awaiting a decision.

A second grant application is underway to support critical infrastructure work: the electrical system and the installation of a bathroom — both essential steps toward reopening the chapel for public use. Fundraising for the match on this grant is underway, and we welcome support from donors who want to be part of this next phase.

Building Safety and Compliance

This spring, the Vermont Division of Fire Safety conducted an initial inspection of the chapel building. We are actively working through the recommendations from that report. Executive Director Donna Price will be presenting findings and next steps to the Clarendon Town Council.

Bids and Local Partners

We have issued a Request for Proposals for restoration work on the chapel and are actively gathering bids from local vendors and craftspeople with experience in historic buildings. Doing this work well — and doing it right — is our priority.

Connecting to the Broader Preservation Community

Donna Price recently attended the Vermont Preservation Fund retreat on funding opportunities across the state. We are building relationships across Vermont’s preservation community and identifying every available pathway to move this project forward.

Get Involved

There has never been a better time to join this effort — as a board member, a donor, or a community partner. To learn more about the project, visit Chapel1871.org and ClarendonHeritage.org. To inquire about board service or to support the matching fund campaign, contact us at service [@] corpwell.org.

Chapel 1871 has waited long enough. We’re ready.