A Grave Story of Castleton State College

/ Joanna Tebbs Young / Leave a comment
Human bones on display in the Old Chapel on Castleton State College campus. (Joanna Tebbs Young / photo)
Human bones on display in the Old Chapel on Castleton State College campus. (Joanna Tebbs Young / photo)

It may have been because I was expecting (hoping?) to feel something when I entered the basement of the Old Chapel on Seminary Street on the campus of Castleton State College — my stomach flipped. A strange sensation of, not fear, but what? Unease. A slight pressure inside.

While it may not be its original cellar hole — the building had been moved from its original site on Main Street and, as such, is hardly a representation of its former self — the air, it felt, well … just different.

Apparently I’m not the only person who has felt something unusual.

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Rutland: A name to be proud of

/ Joanna Tebbs Young / Leave a comment

rutlandukAs a writer, I am particularly interested in the power of words and language. My graduate research into the transformative abilities of writing looked into the affect words have on us psychologically.

One of the most amazing findings was that of Dr. Masaru Emoto whose research with water changed the way I thought about words and our bodies. He taped various words, such as “love,” “gratitude,” “kill,” and “anger” on different beakers of water. He then photographed the water crystals from each beaker. The results were mind-blowing. Continue reading →

Berenice R. Tuttle: A force to be reckoned with

/ Joanna Tebbs Young / 4 Comments

Berenice TuttleOne of my favorite buildings in Rutland, one I was thrilled to see renovated, is the Tuttle Building on Center Street. The wide central staircase is gorgeous. That it disappears into a false ceiling adds an air of mystery, prompting me to turn in my imagination to a time when slick-haired, ink-smudged men were hurrying up and down, stacks of paper in arm. And apparently there was also at least one long- (or maybe a not so long-) skirted woman. Continue reading →

Julia Dorr: Vermont’s most famous and best loved poets

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julia dorrI knew Julia Dorr’s name. I’ve parked in front of the library and Grace Church enough times for the name atop the green historical marker to bury itself somewhere in my subconscious. But when I looked up her name in preparation for writing this article, I realized I hadn’t read what was on that sign with any attention at all.

You’d think I would have. Continue reading →