"The Andrew Ladd Scholarship Wine Tasting & Auction is one of the most entertaining and delicious wine tasting events I've ever been to...and I've been to man" says Dan Cote, President of the Chester Rotary. "This Rotary sponsored, 3rd annual event will benefit the Green Mountain High School graduating students, and that alone is well worth the investment." Over $20,000 has been raised in the two previous years, providing college funds for many students from GMUHS. The goal is to incrementally raise the bar in support of Chester students who choose to go on to college.

It is fitting that the scholarship event is supported by Andrew Ladd Builders and his family, in his memory. Andrew Ladd was a natural builder. He built relationships, his own construction company, a loving family, and through his support of his local community, he built stronger students and a better place. Andy lived in Chester for 30 years and just about everyone in town knew him, but there was one thing you’d never know. Andy Ladd was a college dropout. He dropped out of college for two reasons:

1. He thought he had a problem that nobody else had.

2. He thought he was alone.

Despite dropping out of college, Andy went on to lead a successful and happy life in Vermont, but he always regretted that he never finished college. He had dreams of becoming an engineer, but walked away from them because he didn’t have help. Learning from his mistakes, he worked very hard to make sure that none of his own children fell victim to the same fate. He also went beyond to support hundreds of local students through his many community service efforts.

The Andrew Ladd Scholarship has been created as a way for Andy to continue his legacy of supporting local students and perhaps give them the help they need to achieve their college dreams. His life proves that everyone can be great. You don’t have to have a college degree, you don’t have to drive a fancy car, you don’t even have to make a lot of money—you only need a heart full of compassion and a helping hand every once in a while.

For more on the scholarship and upcoming events, please visit the website at: http://andrewladdscholarship.weebly.com/

Additionally, Heidi Buxton Ladd was awarded the prestigious Paul Harris Fellow award at the annual scholarship fundraising event for her significant contributions to the local community and rotary.

The Message: Chester Rec's New Pavilion - 2011

Andrew Ladd Builders recently completed the construction of a one-of-a-kind octagonal, post-and-beam pavilion for the Chester town recreational center. Designed by architect Liz Calabrese and managed by ALB's own Randy DiStefano, the 30' by 30' pavilion is a work of art.

The pavilion funded by a gift from the local Rotary Club and a federal grant and was constructed and dedicated to a prominent Rotarian and active community member. Thus, it was critical that the design be elegant and the construction sturdy and the team at Andrew Ladd Builders expertly delivered once again.

The pavilion is now open to recreational center activities and can be rented for private parties.

Early Homes: In a Quiet Hamlet, A New Old Bow - 2009

Excerpts from the original article.

Long-time Old-House Interiors reader Randall DiStefano tells us that he and his wife fell in love with the quiet hamlet of Grafton, Vermont, when they came here to put an addition on a client's house. For two decades, Randy's done 18th-century historical reproduction and restoration work all over New England. When the family decided to stay and build a house for themselves, they referred to Stanley Schuler's Old New England Homes.

Construction was a long process." I tried to build it in the same manner a home of its period would have been built," says Randy. " I did almost all the work myself, ground up, with some help from my brother Dave - when he could make the trip up from Tennessee." The house is complete with an 18th-century framing system, a working bake-oven in the back wall of the keeping room, and a slate floor. "My wife and I split the slate by hand at a quarry in Granville, NY."

"I put my heart and soul into this place," Randy says. " I get a kick out of people who ask how old the house is. When I tell them five years old, the look on their faces makes it all worth it."

New England Design: Vermont Haven - 2007

Excerpts from the original article.

"When Architect Ramsay Gourd first visited this farmhouse, he knew that the best renovation would be a nearly invisible one. 'This house didn't require a self-conscious, high-profile renovation,' he says. "A successful design would be one in which you couldn't tell an architect had been involved.' Mission accomplished.' And he also knew just the builder for the careful, detail-orientated project - Andrew Ladd Builders.

The collaboration and shared goals of Gourd, ALB founder Andrew Ladd, and their clients were simple: "Rather than transforming the home, they wanted to update the infrastructure, add a splash of sophistication to the interior, and add bathrooms and closets. With that in mind, Gourd drew up plans for a 350-square food addition comprised of a new master bath and his-and-hers closets on the first floor, and a pair of bathrooms on the second floor. The renovation also included a covered porch that wraps around the back corner of the home."

Not only did the team at Andrew Ladd Builders expertly craft Gourd vision, but also the owner expressed great satisfaction with the entire project. "There's nothing I don't love about this house," says the owner. "We preserved its farmhouse history, we retained what the previous owners had done, and we complete updated and extended it. Yet it doesn't look like we did a thing! I find that amazing," expressed Gourd. Andrew Ladd Builders says it's a sure sign of success.