Collin Parker
Fletcher Allen Public Affairs
802-847-2886

BURLINGTON, VT - Fletcher Allen Health Care has selected Stewart Construction, Incorporated of Essex Junction as the recipient of an approximately $1 million contract for the restoration of the Mary Fletcher Building, the original site of the Mary Fletcher Hospital.  The exterior restoration is part of Fletcher Allen's Renaissance Project.

The goal of the project is to restore the look of the Mary Fletcher Building as close as possible to its appearance when it first opened to patients in January 1879.

Among the key aspects of the project are the reconstruction of a rooftop belvedere with metal weathervane, repair of the building's foundation, the reconstruction of ten five-foot chimneys, brick cleaning and restoration, and window replacement.  Crews will also reconstruct the covered entryway (known as a porte cochere) in front of the Mary Fletcher Building.

"We're very happy to award this contract to Stewart Construction," said Dave Keelty, director of Building Projects at Fletcher Allen.  "They are an outstanding local contractor, and we've very much enjoyed our working relationship with them in the past on the Renaissance Project.  We eagerly anticipate their successful restoration of such a historic building."

"Stewart Construction is looking forward to restoring such a significant part of Burlington's historical fabric," said Don Stewart, president of Stewart Construction.  "The Mary Fletcher building has stood for 125 years as a symbol of health care's contribution to the lives of generations of Vermonters."

"Freeman French Freeman has enjoyed the opportunity to be part of the team working on the historic restoration of the Mary Fletcher Building," said Project Manager Wendy Blakeman, of Burlington architectural firm Freeman French Freeman.  "We are looking forward to construction.  The end result should be quite spectacular."

Among the subcontractors who will be working on the project are:

• Architectural Interior Products, Williston (millwork)
• Conant Custom Brass, Burlington (historic light fixtures)
• Liszt Historical Restoration, Hinesburg (masonry)
• Pella Windows and Doors, Williston (windows)
• Michael Schumacher, Marshfield (weathervane)

Preliminary work has already begun on the Mary Fletcher Building, and the project is expected to be completed by the end of November 2005.

About the Mary Fletcher Hospital Building

Named after Mary Martha Fletcher's mother, Mary Fletcher Hospital opened in January 1879. Vermont-born architect, W.P. Wentworth, designed the three-story brick, High Victorian, Gothic-style building.  When it opened, the facility included 29 beds, a separate men's ward and a connected amphitheater for clinical instruction. The first patient admitted was a woman from Fort Ann, New York, who needed surgery to remove a tumor.  68 patients were seen in the hospital's first year.

About Fletcher Allen's Renaissance Project

In addition to the restoration of the Mary Fletcher Building, Fletcher Allen's building project includes a new Ambulatory Care Center, an expanded emergency department, a new birthing center, a new surgery center with eight additional operating suites, a new central plant, and a new 1,200-space underground parking garage. The project also includes an Education Center, constructed in collaboration with the University of Vermont College of Medicine.