ROCHESTER, Vt. -
Rochester plans to reopen the historic Pierce Hall in August.
The nearly 100-year-old hall was originally used for roller skating, movie shows and town meetings. It was purchased by the Masons and condemned by the town in 1973. About $1.4 million has been raised to make the hall handicapped accessible and preserve its historic foundation. Rochester currently has no community space for meetings, so the idea is to restore the building for public use.
"We do this for our children. It's important that young people have a place to gather. There's no TV, electronics; it's just a place to be where we can have theater, we can dance," said Jeanie Levitan, who is aiding in the preservation effort.
Several private donors have made the rehabilitation possible along with federal funds obtained by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Patrick Leahy.
