A stone building from 1810, a store that has served customers for nearly a century, and coffee that still costs a quarter a cup. That’s Chipman Point Marina in Orwell, Vermont, where 83-year-old Pat Ullom and her son have kept things running for more than 30 years. The main building was constructed from stone quarried on the property, and boats once unloaded cargo straight into it, with a grocery store operating on the second floor. Original beams and flooring remain intact, down to chew marks from a past owner.
Ullom lives on the third floor of the 1824 building next door, above the store she opens every day. Her approach to it all is remarkably simple. She doesn’t feel that she owns the place. She feels lucky to have lived there. It’s a philosophy that says a lot about what it takes to keep local history alive, day after day, cup after cup.
Here on the Suncoast, we have our own keepers, from the folks guarding the Ringling legacy to the families running docks and shops that have survived red tide seasons and hurricane warnings. The story raises a question worth sitting with: who picks up the keys when the person who’s been holding a place together finally steps away? What’s the oldest building in your town, and who’s caring for it? Let us know.
