Island: A Symposium in Bellows Falls

The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center and Rockingham Arts & Museum Project (RAMP) present “Island: A Symposium” at the Bellows Falls Waypoint Center.

RAMP founder Robert McBride will moderate a conversation with geologist David Howell, archeologist Gail Golec, and architect Dan Scully.

The Bellows Falls Island, a 30-acre shelf of bedrock along the Connecticut River, has been defined by human manipulation for centuries. It was once a ceremonial, gathering, and burial site for Indigenous inhabitants of the region.

Originally a peninsula bounded on three sides by the river, it became an island in 1802 with the creation of the Bellows Falls Canal. Railroads, resort hotels, farm machinery, armament manufacturers, paper mills, and busy roadways have come and gone, while the Island continues to hold traces of its layered past.

The Bellows Falls Waypoint Center, which was designed by Scully, opened in 2003 in connection with the Federal Highways Scenic Byway Program to provide visitors a window to the past and a jumping off point to explore the Connecticut River Valley.

Scully will share the inspiration behind the design of the center, highlighting how the Island’s unique character influenced the building itself.

Admission is free, but space is limited, so advance registration is required. To register, visit brattleboromuseum.org or call 802-257-0124 ext. 101.

-courtesy photo / Brattleboro Museum and Art Center