>> HI, I'M ERIC FORD FROM MADE HERE.

THE OLD STOCKWELL PLACE ON ROUTE 2 IN MIDDLESEX, VERMONT, HAS BEEN AN EYESORE AND POTENTIAL DANGER FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS AND DAVID SMITH LIVES NEXT DOOR, IN HIS FILM, EYESORE, A BUILDING CONCLUDES, WE EXPLORE THE HISTORY, EMOTIONS AND CHALLENGES OF A BUILDING WHOSE TIME IS COMING TO AN END.

YOU CAN WATCH EYESORE AND OTHER GREAT MADE HERE FILMS STREAMING ON VERMONTPBS.ORG AND THROUGH THE PBS APP.

ENJOY THE FILM AND THANKS FOR WATCHING.

[PIANO PLAYING] >> IT'S ALWAYS LOOKED THE SAME.

I NEVER CAN WERE IT BEING ANY DIFFERENT.

I DON'T THINK IT WAS PAINTED, NEVER.

I DON'T THINK IT WAS EVER PAINTED.

I DON'T KNOW THAT BUT TO MY KNOWLEDGE I HAVE NEVER SEEN IT LOOK ANY DIFFERENT THAN IT DID.

>> YOU JUST THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH JOY AND MISERY AND BOREDOM AND FASCINATION PASSED THROUGH THOSE DOORS.

>> IT WAS AS SWOOKY ON THE INSIDE AS THE OUTSIDE, THAT'S FOR SURE.

>> LIKE EVERYONE ELSE WHO LIVES IN MIDDLESEX I HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THAT BUILDING FOREVER.

YOU DRIVE BY IT EVERY TIME YOU DRIVE THROUGH THE VILLAGE, THERE IT IS.

WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO TWHO IS GOING TO BUY IT.

>> THE EARLIEST KIND OF RECORDS OR ORAL HISTORY ABOUT IT I THINK WAS WHAT CAME FROM WARD KNOX.

HIS STORY ABOUT THE STOCKWELL HOUSE WAS THAT IT WAS A TENEMENT HOUSE THAT HOUSED SOME OF THE IRISH WORKERS WORKING ON THE RAILROAD IN THE LATE 1840s.

SO THERE'S THREE CLIMATIC THEAFNTS WOULD HAVE CHANGED MIDDLESEX.

THE FIRST WAS IN THE MID 1850s, WHEN THE RAILROAD CAME THROUGH.

AND IT TURNED MIDDLESEX INTO A VERY PROSPEROUS AND IMPORTANT INTERSECTION BECAUSE THERE WAS NO RAILROAD OUT TO THE MAD RIVER VALLEY, SO THAT ALL THE CAR GO AND ALL THE PEOPLE, EVERYTHING HAD TO GO THROUGH MIDDLESEX THROUGH THE TRAIN STAKES ON TO THE STAGECOACHES AND OTHER THINGS THAT WENT OUT TO THE VALLEY.

BASICALLY, THE MIDDLESEX VILLAGE CAME TO LIFE IN THE 1850s, '60s, UNTIL '27, UNTIL THE FLOOD.

THEN OF COURSE IN THE '50s THE HIGHWAY CAME THROUGH FURTHER DEVASTATING THAT SIDE OF TOWN.

>> AFTER IT WAS A ROOMING HOUSE FOR THE RAILROAD WORKERS, WE THINK IT BAKE MORE OF JUST A ROOMIE HOUSE, A PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO STAY BEFORE THE HOTELS WERE BUILT.

>> IT WAS A PLACE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF BUSINESSES AS FAR AS I KNOW ALL THE WAY THROUGH ITS OWNERSHIP.

I THINK SOMETIMES IT WAS SORT OF LIKE RETAIL.

I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANYBODY WHO HAD LIKE A BLACKSMITH SHOP OR SOMETHING THERE.

>> I TRIED TO FIND OUT AT ONE TIME WHEN IT WAS LAST OCCUPIED.

IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS BACK IN THE '50s, MAYBE.

>> THERE WAS A MAN AND HIS DAUGHTER LIVED THERE BEFORE STOCKWELL'S DID.

MOLL TON WAS THEIR NAME.

SHE WAS QUITE A CHARACTER.

SHE USED TO COME UP HERE AND GET WATER.

THEY WERE ON THE RAILROAD WATER BUT SHE THOUGHT THAT WATER WASN'T FIT TO DRINK SO SHE CAME UP AND GOT A BUCKET OF WATER UP HERE.

THEY CALLED HER TOPSY, AND SHE WAS A LITTLE BIT HANDICAPPED.

YOU KNOW.

SHE USED TO COME UP AND TELL US THAT HER FATHER WAS HITTING HER WITH HIS CANE.

[LAUGHTER] MY MOTHER-IN-LAW AND FATHER-IN-LAW LIVED WITH US AT THE TIME AND SHE USED TO TELL HER, TAKE HIS CANE AWAY FROM HIM.

[LAUGHTER] THEY WERE DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

I DIDN'T KNOW THEM WELL.

I DID KNOW TOPSY WELL BECAUSE SHE CAME EVERY DAY AND GOT WATER.

>> ITS PROXIMITY TO THE BUILDING NEXT DOOR TO YOUR HOUSE IS SO CRAZY CLOSE, AND IT SHOWS UP LIKE THAT IN THE 1873 MAP.

THEY ALWAYS HAVE DIFFERENT OWNERS ON THE MAP, SO IT'S NOT LIKE IT WAS ONE FAMILY OR ONE BUSINESS.

SO I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT THE STORY IS.

>> THE KIDS USED TO HAVE FUN IN THAT ON HALLOWEEN.

THAT WAS THE HAUNTED HOUSE.

>> WE CAME TO TOWN IN THE EARLY '70s AND THAT WAS WHEN THE HAUNTED HOUSE -- THAT'S HOW WE KNEW THAT BUILDING.

WE THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY HAUNTED.

IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.

THE GHOSTS OF ALL THOSE WORKERS.

>> I USED TO BE A LITTLE RELUCTANT BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS LIKE INSIDE, BUT I GUESS IT WAS STILL IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE INSIDE.

>> WE ATTENDED ONE YEAR WITH OUR KIDS.

IT WAS SCARY.

[LAUGHTER] THERE WERE EYEBALLS ON PLATES AND SPOOKY NOISES AND PEOPLE WHO JUMPED OUT AT YOU.

>> IT WAS PRETTY SKETCHY AND UNSAFE IN THOSE DAYS TO BE HONEST.

I WAS ALWAYS AFRAID SOMEBODY WOULD GO IN THERE AND SET IT ON FIRE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

>> I DON'T THINK PEOPLE THOUGHT TOO HIGHLY OF THE OWNER FOR JUST HAVING LET IT GO OR NOT DOING ANYTHING WITH IT.

>> THE GENTLEMAN I KNEW FROM PLAINFIELD WE BECAME GOOD FRIENDS OVER TIME, OVER THE YEARS.

TURNED OUT TO BE THE OWNER OF THE BUILDING SO I USED TO NEEDLE HIM ABOUT WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO ABOUT THE BUILDING.

>> HE ALWAYS LIKED HISTORY.

HE WAS THE STATE ARCHIVIST.

HE LOVED OLD BUILDINGS.

BOUT A FEW OF THEM OVER THE YEARS.

>> HE WOULD BUY THESE BUILDINGS AND THE FIRST PROBLEM WAS USUALLY WHEN HE BOUT THEM THEY WERE IN BAD ENOUGH SHAPE THEY COULDN'T BE INSURED, COULDN'T GET A 340R9, COULDN'T GET, COULDN'T GET AND HE NEVER HAD THE FUNCTION RESOURCES TO FIX THEM UP.

NO WATER AND NO SEWER.

SO WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?

NO PLACE TO PUT ONE.

>> HE OFFERED TO DONATE THE BUILDING TO THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY FOR A DOLLAR.

BUT WE ARE A VERY SMALL GROUP AND WE DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO TAKE CARE OF IT OR FIX IT UP.

>> HE WAS ALWAYS OPTIMISTIC.

WHICH IS A GOOD LESSON TO LEARN AS WE TRY TO DEAL WITH EVERYTHING IN LIFE.

LIFE IS HARD.

THAT MAY BE WHY HE BOUT THAT BO.

IT COULD BE REVITALIZED.

IT COULD HAVE A NEW LIFE AND BE A HOME FOR KIDS.

>> HE HAD HOPES FOR IT THAT IT COULD BECOME SOMETHING ELSE.

WE THOUGHT WHAT A PERFECT COMMUNITY BUILDING.

YOU HAVE YOUR DAYCARE, SENIOR CENTER, HISTORICAL SOCIETY WITH A FLOOR TO ITSELF.

WE HAD GREAT HOPES FOR THE BUILDING BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY TO BACK OUR HOPES UP WITH.

>> AS A PERSON INVOLVED IN TOWN GOVERNMENT I WAS ALWAYS INTERESTED IN, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

IT'S BECOME AN EYESORE.

WHAT CAN HAPPEN?

WELL, ALAN'S SON CAME TO ME AND SAID, YOU KNOW, DOES THE TOWN HAVE ANY INTEREST IN THAT BUILDING?

I SAID, ABSOLUTELY NOT!

WE HAVE ENOUGH OF OUR OWN PROBLEMS.

HE SAID, WELL, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO AND FOR ALL THE OBVIOUS REASONS I CAN'T REALLY FIND ANYBODY WHO IS INTERESTED IN BUYING IT OR DOING ANYTHING WITH IT.

SO HE ULTIMATELY I GUESS GOT HOLD OF JAY SOUTHGATE.

>> SOMETIMES WHEN I'M GETTING PEOPLE OUT ON THE ROADS FOR THE FIRST TIME I REFER TOE IT AS, YOU KNOW, THE MOTHER BIRD.

I'M YOUR MOTHER BIRD.

YOU NEED TO HOP OUT OF THE NEST AND YOUR WINGS WILL BE JUST FINE.

SOME PEOPLE IT TAKES TWO MINUTES.

SOME IT TAKES TWO HOURS.

MY FIRST TIME WHEN AB FRIEND WAS MOTHER BISHEDDING ME IT TOOK ABOUT TWO HOURS.

>> I HAVE HAD MY EYE ON THIS HOUSE SINCE 1988 AND I KNEW THE OWNERS.

MY NEIGHBOR WAS FRIENDS WITH HIM.

I ASKED ABOUT IT AND TURNED OUT HE OPENED IT.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH IT AND HE WOULD RAISE HIS EYEBROWS AND IMPLY THAT HE WAS GOING TO DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS AND THE FACT THAT HE HAD A METAL ROOF PUT ON IT ME THERE WAS NO, SIR LONGER ANY URGENCY ABOUT IT AND THERE'S SOME TRUTH TO T. I THOUGHT IT WAS STARTING TO DROP BOMBS WHEN HE PUT THE MIDDLE ROOF ON, 35 YEARS AGO OR SOMETHING, THEN IT STABILIZED, STOPPED LEAKING AND HUNG TIGHT.

>> IT WAS SPOOKY TO WALK THROUGH AND I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT WAS IN MUCH MORE DISREPAIR INSIDE THAN IT ACTUALLY WAS.

WE KNEW THE BEAMS WERE REALLY, REALLY WELL PUT TOGETHER.

THE HOUSE WAS WELL CONSTRUCTED.

YOU COULD STILL GO UP THE STAIRS AND STILL KIND OF WALK ACROSS -- COULDN'T WALK ACROSS THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR BUT YOU COULD WALK ACROSS THE BEAMS AND WORK YOUR WAY AROUND.

>> IT WAS A PROFESSIONALLY BUILT BUILDING.

THIS WAS NOT A BUNCH OF FARMERS GETTING TOGETHER ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON TO COBBLE SOMETHING TOGETHER.

I'M PRETTY SURE WHAT THEY DID WAS LAID THE STONE WALL AND BUILT THE GROUND LEVEL FLOOR, THEN THE BUILDING CONSISTED OF FIVE VENTS, ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, TEN FEET APART MAKING A 40 FOOT BUILDING.

THEY DID THE SAME WHERE YOU STAND THEM UP WITH THOSE POLES.

>> ONCE YOU GET GOING YOU DO IT RIGHT THEN IT MOVES ON PRETTY GOOD.

HE DID MOST OF IT BY HIMSELF.

I THINK YOU PUT IT TOGETHER, YOU CAN TAKE IT APART.

IF YOU'RE NOT USED TO DOING THIS KIND OF WORK IT SEEMS LIKE A DAUNTING TASK BUT AFTER YOU HAVE BUILT SO MANY HOUSES A AND TORN SO MANY APART YOU JUST HAVE TO THINK IT THROUGH AND BE CAREFUL.

>> THAT BUILDING HAD A TEN FOOT DEEP PORCH ON EACH OF THE TWO FLOORS WITH PLASTER CEILINGS.

THAT IS NOT A COMMON THING.

THEY USED TO BE MORE PORCH THEN THEY REBUILT AND MADE THE PORCH MORE NARROW AND FILLED THE WHOLE TOP IN FOR MORE ROOM IN THE HOUSE.

I DON'T KNOW, PROBABLY 100 YEARS AGO OR MORE.

>> THEY MOVED THE WALL OF THIS ROOM BACK AND TOOK OUT THIS VERY IMPORTANT BRACED WALL.

GREATLY WEAKENING THE STRUCTURE.

THIS PLACE WAS BUILT REALLY NICE AND THEN THEY REMODELED IT, THEY HACKED IT UP A LITTLE BIT.

>> YOU LEARN HOW THEY ASSEMBLED IT AND THE TECHNIQUES THAT THEY USED.

MY KIDS ARE SEEING HOW THIS WAS ALL DONE, TIM IMER TBRAIMS ARE JUST UNIQUE TO EACH BUILDER.

THEY ARE NOT A COOKIE CUTTER THING.

EVERYBODY DOES SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

>> I FOUND A CHILD'S SHOE WHICH I GAVE TO THE VERMONT HISTORY CENTER DOWN HERE.

>> I THINK THAT'S A REALLY FASCINATING LITTLE PIECE.

THAT A SHOE WAS FOUND.

WHO PUT THE SHOE THERE AND WHY?

WHO WORE THE SHOE?

WHAT WAS HER LITTLE LIFE LIKE IF IT WAS A LITTLE GIRL'S SHOE?

>> THERE WERE DEFINITELY SOME TIMES DURING THE PROJECT WHEN I WOULD ASK MYSELF, WHY ARE WE DOING THIS AGAIN, JAY?

BUT THE DESIRE TO DO IT CAME UPON ME.

I HAVE DONE IT A COUPLE OF TIMES AND NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD WANT TO DO IT AGAIN AND ACTUALLY THERE'S ONE I'M A LITTLE CURIOUS ABOUT.

>> IT WAS KIND OF A SAD DAY TO SEE THE OLD BUILDING GO DOWN, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT NEEDED TO BE TAKEN DOWN.

>> WE DID TRY TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO KEEP T. LIKE I SAID, I WAS WILLING TO MOVE IT OVER TO MY PLACE.

>> WHEN THE STOCKWELL HOUSE CAME DOWN I DIDN'T REALLY -- WHEN I DROVE PAST IT I DIDN'T WANT TO LOOK AT IT BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO SEE IT BEING TAKEN DOWN.

THE SAME THING WITH THE CHURCH.

I ACTUALLY HAD A HARDER TIME WHEN THE CHURCH BURNED.

>> JUST WENT SO FAST.

MY KIDS WENT TO SUNDAY SCHOOL THERE.

BIBLE SCHOOL, SUMMERS.

YEP.

>> TO SEE THAT BUILDING COME DOWN IN TWO HOURS' TIME, THAT WAS REALLY LIKE LOSING SOMEBODY IN MY FAMILY.

>> I WASN'T UNHAPPY TO HEAR THAT THEY WERE TAKING THE BUILDING DOWN, BUT YOU ALWAYS FEEL A LITTLE PANG OF THERE GOES THAT PART OF OUR HISTORY.

NOBODY WHO IS BEING BORN NOW WILL EVER KNOW THERE WAS A HOUSE THERE.

>> IT'S A SAD THING.

CERTAINLY AN HISTORICAL OR WAS AN HISTORICAL STRUCTURE IN THE VILLAGE.

THERE ARE NOT MANY BUILDINGS THERE AS OLD AS THAT BUILDING.

>> I USED TO WANT TO SEE EVERY BUILDING SAVED AND THINK THAT IT WAS ABSOLUTELY WORTHWHILE TO PRESERVE EVERY BUILDING.

I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE AS I HAVE GOTTEN OLDER I HAVE COME MORE TO REALIZE THAT THINGS DO HAVE A LIFETIME, WHETHER IT'S PEOPLE OR BUILDINGS OR THE MAKEUP OF A TOWN.

>> IT'S A HOLE.

THAT HOUSE HAS BEEN THERE EVER SINGS I CAME HERE.

AND EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT A PRETTY SIGHT, IT WAS IN A WAY BECAUSE IT HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD LIVED THERE.

NOW IT'S JUST GONE.

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE IT'S GONE.

>> FINANCIALLY THIS WAS A VERY STUPID THING FOR ME TO DO.

IF YOU THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH TIME I SPENT AND WHAT THE VALUE OF THAT PILE OVER THERE IS, IT'S NOT A SMART THING TO DO, BUT YOU KNOW, HAVING A BOAT ISN'T SMART UNLESS YOU ENJOY IT.

AND I ENJOYED THIS.

>> THERE IS A MARKET FOR OLD FRAMES BUT I DON'T THINK I WANT TO SELL THIS.

>> THESE WERE WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO START DROPPING.

THESE COULD HAVE KILLED SOMEBODY.

>> FOR NOW IT'S JUST GOING TO SIT RIGHT THERE.

MAYBE I'LL PUT IT UP FOR MY DAUGHTER SOMEDAY.

I DON'T KNOW.

I DO NOT KNOW >> VERMONT PUBLIC, PARTNERING WITH LOCAL FILM MAKERS BRING YOU STORIES MADE HERE.

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