BURLINGTON, Vt.-
The historic home of Ethan Allen, one of Vermont’s most celebrated figures, is in debt and trustees say its future is uncertain.
The restored house and museum, known as the Ethan Allen Homestead, will close to visitors for the winter on Oct. 31, as it usually does, but plans for next year are uncertain, according to The Burlington Free Press.
The site could reopen on a limited basis, said Jennifer Ely, executive director of the property’s owner, the Winooski Valley Park District.
Hiking trails and community gardens on the 284-acre parcel along the Winooski River will stay open to the public.
Allen, the flamboyant leader of the Green Mountain Boys, became famous when he captured Fort Ticonderoga in Crown Point, N.Y., from the British in the Revolutionary War. He spent the last five years of his life at the Homestead focusing on writing and farming. He died in 1789.
The historic site will end the year with an estimated $37,000 to $40,000 of debt and have to draw from its endowment to settle its accounts.
Attendance has dropped in recent years. The site had 16,281 visitors in 2001 and 6,537 in 2005. The number of school visitors fell during the four years, from 3,903 to 570.
The decline in part is attributed to less community outreach because of staff cutbacks, said Joyce Huff, Homestead director.
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