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An ancient work clothes
manufacturing building in
Lebanon is being tailored
to AVA Gallery’s unique needs.
By Jack DeGange
he H.W. Carter and Sons Building, located on Route 4
in Lebanon just a stone’s throw from the town green,
has been home to the non-profit AVA Gallery and Art
Center since 1990. AVA, or Alliance for the Visual
Arts, is a regional resource for artists of all
ages, and has owned the Carter Building outright
since 2003.
Over a century and a half before AVA owned the
three-story building, it was home to an enormous
manufacturing and merchandising business that earned
entrepreneur Henry Wood Carter the distinction of
northern New England’s “Merchant Prince.” The
business churned out overalls and work clothes
throughout the Northeast and beyond, and at its
height, employed about 175 people.
Today, the 120-by-75-foot building encloses 36,000
square feet and rises over 40 feet high. Due to its
age and a prevailing west wind, the building leans
about seven inches to the east. Over the years, as
Carter’s business thrived, the stone foundation was
expanded, and the original 1850s gable-roof
warehouse was surrounded by multiple additions.
From the day AVA moved into the Carter Building as a
tenant, Bente Torjusen, AVA’s executive director
since 1986, marveled at the space and light offered
by the old factory and knew it was ideal for
teaching and creating art.
“We wanted a building that would have a gallery
component as well as artist studios,” Torjusen
recalled. “This building had the quality and
characteristics we needed: honesty, rawness,
history, a great geographic location near downtown
Lebanon, and accessibility to the interstate
highways.”
But for all that the building had going for it, it
was in need of renovations. The heating system was a
boiler that had come from an old Lake Champlain
steamer, the 140 old windows lacked efficiency, and,
throughout the course of all of the additions that
were put onto the building in the past, outside
walls had become inside walls, and the building had
become somewhat of a Rubik’s cube.
After AVA acquired the building in 2003, its board
of directors started a capital campaign (that has
realized about 75 percent of its $4.2 million
objective) to fund renovations, and contracted with
Stuart White of Banwell Architects.
White’s plans include multiple features that
directly respond to the AVA board’s decision to
“build green” and that will certainly make the
building deserving of Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) certification by the
U.S. Green Building Council. AVA has also worked
closely with Trumbull-Nelson for several years on
the construction plans.
Torjusen recalls her first meeting with Paul
Tremblay, Trumbull-Nelson’s on-site superintendent.
Tremblay, who has a reputation for managing
“interesting jobs,” gave Torjusen one simple
instruction. “Don’t worry,” he said. “It’s my job to
worry, not yours.”
To date, virtually all electrical, plumbing, and
fire protection services have been upgraded for
efficiency. All exterior siding has been stripped,
and a thick coat of foam insulation was applied to
improve uniform retention of heat in the building.
The green initiative, which includes an efficient
new set of three liquid propane-fueled boilers, will
be rounded out by new energy-efficient windows and
the installation of sun shades on the south side of
the building along with light shelves that diffuse
natural light toward the ceilings.
Currently, all interior stairways are being removed
to create more usable space for galleries and
studios.
When the work is complete, the west end of the
building will include a new main entrance, a patio
that abuts the restored main gallery, and a new
stairway serving all floors. With consideration for
the building’s slight tilt to the east, a second
stairway and elevator will be added to the east end,
giving the building full handicapped accessibility.
In addition to the current galleries and
administrative offices, the first floor of the
completed building will include a new studio
dedicated to teaching children. One interior wall of
the children’s studio will be the east wall of the
original Carter warehouse—and much of that old
building will remain exposed and restored, becoming
part of a display along the main corridor that is a
tribute to the building’s history.
The modernized building will remain a portal for the
past while becoming a staple for the community’s
future. “As exhibits, classes, and workshops resume,
attendance in all of our programs—classes,
exhibitions, and special events—is expected to
increase considerably,” said Karen Miller, AVA’s
education director. “In addition, we’ll have 20 to
22 studios for artists in the building.”
The restoration of AVA Gallery is slated for
completion in the fall and has been ongoing since
last summer. Through it all, Torjusen, her staff,
and the numerous artists have been able to continue
running their programs.
“Our ability to work has gone amazingly well. The
Trumbull-Nelson team, especially Paul and (project
manager) Todd Thompson, has been fantastic. Every
day requires negotiation, adjustment, and moving as
the work continues.”
Historical Suprises
 From
the very beginning, Trumbull-Nelson has uncovered
one historical surprise after another. They have
come across posters advertising Carter products and
various artifacts, including metal buttons and
remnants of fabric used for the overalls. They have
removed an old freight elevator and boiler
(nicknamed “Big Red” by AVA staffers). And they have
also come across old sewing machines and equipment.
One day when workers stripped the ceilings,
discarded steel sewing needles, too numerous to
count, rained down from the floorboards above.
What is being done with all of these reminders of
the past? “Big Red” will have a future as a piece of
art in the garden and play area being created at the
east end of the building. Everything else will be
stored for use in AVA’s Waste to Art Project. “We
plan to invite artists to create art from these old
pieces as part of a fund-raising event to benefit
the renovation project,” said Torjusen. “The
creative mind can create amazing art out of what
many would consider useless waste.”
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