The Socialist Labor Party Hall 

Home of the Barre Historical Society

Welcome to the website of the Barre Historical Society, owner of the Socialist Labor Party Hall National Historic Landmark. Here you can find information about the history of the the Hall, about renting the Hall for your event, about how you can help the Barre Historical Society preserve the Hall.

To keep up to date, click the icons at the bottom of the page to like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

COMING SOON!

 Barre Heritage and Homecoming Festival

Wednesday, July 24 though Monday, July 29

offering many opportunities to learn more about Barre history

Alpha Barre Search

This activity will encourage people to look for letters of the alphabet that are imbedded in the architecture of Downtown Barre.

Special Exhibit: "The Emergence of the Granite City: Barre 1880-1940"  at the Vermont History Center - 60 Washington St

During the period covered by the exhibit, Barre’s population increased from 2,206 to 11,855 in less than fifteen years, and it became known as the granite center of the world. Mark Hudson, Executive Director of the Vermont Historical Society, notes that, “In addition to their diverse customs and languages, many of the new residents also had political beliefs that contrasted with the natives. With immigrant populations from French-Canada, Scotland, Italy and many other European countries, Barre became a cosmopolitan city distinct from others in Vermont.”

This exhibit includes:

• Pennywhistle used to heckle “bozos,” strikebreakers, during the violent 1933 labor dispute    
• Regalia worn by a member of the Scottish Clan Gordon #12   
• Part of a still used for making grappa by an Italian family living in Barre’s North end    
• Photographs of families and social gatherings held by various ethnic groups    
• Photographs and artifacts from the various schools, including Spaulding High School and Barre Evening Granite School 

Historic View

Historic images of Downtown Barre are mounted at a location that provides the viewer the same perspective as when it was originally taken. For instance, this view of Main Street can be seen from City Hall Park. A

Cobblestone Crossroads: Barre's Main Street in Transition at the Barre Area Senior Center, 135 N Main St

An exhibit featuring a slideshow of images displaying Barre's Main Street from its inception to its current remodeling.

Historic Children's Games 

Historic children’s games will be played on the Vermont History Center lawn

For the full schedule, go to the Festival website

New Labor Hall History Brochure

Available Now

  Although the Old Labor Hall is a National Historic Landmark, it is also in operation (just as it was in its glory days) as a gathering place for all kinds of events. Because of its constant use, there has been no area in which a permanent exhibit about the history of the Hall could be mounted. So to provide visitors with an introduction to the Hall, the Barre Historical Society has prepared a brochure giving a brief history of the Hall.

  The production of the brochure was supported by generous grants from the Vermont Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, Vermont-NEA, and the Vermont State Employees Association.

Copies of the brochure can be obtained on request. For individual copies send a business sized stamped, self-addressed envelope to Brochure, Barre Historical Society, PO Box 496, Barre, VT 05641. For multiple copies, email info@oldlaborhall.com for special arrangements. 

Oh, dear! 

We have been announcing the onlline availability of these limited commemorative edition, genuine union made T-shirts, union printed right here in Vermont with Ed Epstien's original art work.

However, the shirts have been so popular that there are too few left to put up for sale on the website. The only remaining shirts are in size small (36 inch chest) or medium (38 inch chest).

If you would like one, email directly to info@oldlaborhall.com with the sizes you need and the number you would like. Then we can let you know if we can meet your needs. The price would be $20 per shirt including shipping. 

Where Have the Lawrence Strikers' Children Gone?It's 101 years since the children of Lawrence, MA, came to Barre to be cared for during the great textile strike.

Although the last of the Bread and Roses strikers' children took the train from the Barre Depot Square back to Lawrence on March 30, 1912, the generousity of the Barre community has never been forgotten in Lawrence. 

To find out more about Barre's part in the Lawrence Strike, visit our Bread and Roses history pages.

Going, going . . . GONE

Barre Historian Paul Heller has compiled a series of true stories which he descibes as "love letter" to Barre.

The real-life characters featured run the gamut from famous Folk Medicine author Dr. D.C. Jarvis to anarchist Luigi Galleani, from Barre's Chief of Police Patrick Brown and civil war soldier Lemuel Abbot to labor organizer Mother Jones and Socialist mayor Fred Suitor to renown movie director Alfred Hitchock and President Theodore Roosevelt. From bank robbery to big league baseball, all human life is there.

Mr. Heller, who is also a trustee of the Barre Historical Society, is donated the entire purchase price of this fascinating book to the restoration of the Old Labor Hall.

The Good News: Granite City Tales has sold like hot cakes. The Barre Hitorical Society has sold all its copies. There are only a few copies of the book remaining at theNext Chapter Bookstore.

The Bad News: Mr. Heller has no plan to republish.