The Vermont Historical Society is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s League of Local Historical Societies & Museums (LLHSM) Achievement Awards. These awards are handed out annually by the society to recognize the exceptional work done by individuals and community heritage organizations across the state to collect, preserve, and share Vermont’s rich history, with particular emphasis upon innovation. The Award of Excellence and Merit are given out for projects completed in 2025, while Individual awards are for an individual’s years of service to the community.

VHS receives nominations for the awards, and recipients are determined by a panel of judges. This year’s awards were announced during this year’s LLHSM Conference, held at the St. Albans Museum on May 8th, 2026.

Here are the recipients of this year’s awards:

Award of Excellence

Castleton 250th Anniversary Committee with special recognition to James Thatch for their program “Ethan Allen in Castleton.”

On May 9th and 10th, 2025, a committee of Castleton volunteers staged a theater performance called “Ethan Allen in Castleton,” a dramatization of Allen’s time in Castleton immediately prior to his seizure of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775.

The program was written by James Thatch, who composed an effective and educational play to tell the story in a memorable way. The performance featured a group of 15 community members and included clandestine discussion, rousing toasts, and even a surprise appearance by Benedict Arnold. The performance attracted hundreds of people.
The award judges were impressed by the program, scholarship, community support, and coordination of the event.

Historical Society of Windham County, for their County History Museum

The Historical Society of Windham County established their museum in 1936, and in the years since, have outgrown their space. Last year, the Society took over the former 1825 County Jail Building (vacated by the Windham County Sheriff’s Department), negotiated and signed a long term, rent free lease on the building and worked to transform it into a space that could tell the story of Windham County’s heritage while showcasing its extensive collection, much of which had been in storage for decades, and had never been previously viewed by the public. The judges were excited to see how the group adapted the building for its new use while keeping parts of the building’s existing history intact, and appreciated how this was a big project in the Vermont museum world, one that was accomplished mainly by volunteers.

Middletown Springs Historical Society, for their Video History Series & Video Archives

This Middletown Springs project came from approximately 50 hours of footage from informal oral histories and documentary videos taken in 2, 5-day sessions in Fall/Winter 2024 and 2025, which has since been transcribed, indexed, and edited into 4 finished videos. This series premiered at a live event in September 2025 and has led to new enthusiasm and vitality for the organization. The judges praised the videos for their production quality and felt that it represented an innovative model that could be used by others.

Award of Merit

Milton Historical Society for their program “Making Connections”

In 2024, the Milton Historical Society held a roundtable event that featured several local historical societies. To expand participation and engage a larger group of historical organizations, its Board discussed different approaches, ultimately leading to the creation of “Making Connections,” an event held on April 12th, 2025, which brought together 27 organizations to collaborate, network, and share their history with each other and the public.

The judges appreciated the hard work it took to get a group of local societies together in one place, and felt that the scale, both in participating organizations, and the number of attendees, was especially commendable.

Westminster Historical Society for their Westminster Massacre 250th Anniversary Commemoration

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Westminster Massacre– an incident that occurred on March 13, 1775 as part of disputes between New Hampshire and New York factions overland grants —the Westminster Historical Society staged a wide variety of programs and activities on March 13th through the 15th, 2025. These activities included a gathering at the former homestead of Azariah Wright, captain of Westminster’s partisan Whig militia for a reading and march to Westminster’s DAR monument marking the site of the Cumberland County Court House, a viewing of the WHS exhibit about the massacre, titled “O! Horrid Scene!”, a gathering for an account of the uprising after the massacre, and a candlelight vigil marking the 250th anniversary of William French’s burial.

The judges were very impressed by the 3-day event, its planning and organization, and appreciated how they incorporated accessibility into where and when they held events, resulting in a good diversity of people who attended.

Individual Achievement Award

Walter Sperr, Fair Haven Historical Society

In 2021, the Fair Haven Historical Society attempted to stop the destruction of the Red House, the town’s oldest building, to make way for a parking lot. Board member Walter Speer helped lead the charge, conducting research and working with State Historic Preservationists. While the building was demolished, the town’s historical society now has an incredible history of the home and a renewed energy to document and list the town’s historic properties.

Currently serving as the Vice President of the society’s board of directors, he utilizes his background in communications and public relations for the FHHS, contributes to their quarterly newsletters, has continued his research about the town, and engages with students about its history.

The judges were impressed by Walter’s dedication and commitment to Fair Haven and its important stories and were especially thrilled to see his work with students. He is the epitome of a local historian who obviously loves what he does.