BENNINGTON- In April 1911, 32 Italian stoneworkers came to Bennington to start construction for the summer home of wealthy industrialist Edward Everett, on the east side of Mount Anthony. Working around the clock, hand-cutting and moving local granite into place, the workers completed the exterior of the 27-room, Norman castle-style mansion in just eight months, something that, even with modern equipment, seems nearly impossible. The Everett Mansion is still a breathtaking architectural gem listed on the National Register of Historic Places, now houses the administrative offices and classrooms at Southern Vermont College.

In celebration of Everett Mansion’s 100th anniversary, SVC will host a lecture on the architecture and history of the mansion Tuesday, February 7, at 2:15 pm, in the Everett Theater on campus.

The lecture will feature three noted historians: Glenn M. Andres, professor, history of art and architecture at Middlebury College; Tyler Resch, historian at the Bennington Museum; and Susanne Warren, architectural historian and library director at John G. McCullough Free Library. The lecture is part of the college’s themed series, “Inspiring History: Shaping the Future.”

Andres will provide context of the early 1900s, the historical tastes fostered by the Ecole des Beaux Arts, and the range of George Totten, one of Washington’s most prolific and skilled architects in the Gilded Age.

Resch will speak about Everett and his family, businesses, and connection to the area. Warren, who wrote the application for the mansion to be on the National Register, will talk about special features of the building.

This lecture is free and open to the public. A reception will follow in the Burgdorff Gallery at which guests may talk with the speakers.

For more information on the lecture contact the SVC communications office at (802) 447-6389/6388 or email communications@svc.edu. General information about the college is available at www.svc.edu.