McIndoes Academy Community Center

McIndoe Falls Academy Community Center

McIndoe Falls Academy Community Center

McIndoes Academy Community Center

McIndoe Falls Academy Community Center

McIndoe Falls Academy Community Center

Upcoming Events


News & Information


23 Feb, 2024
MCINDOES ACADEMY COMMUNITY CENTER  EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The McIndoes Academy Community Center is seeking qualified candidates for this part-time position for an April 1 start date. The successful applicant will be well-organized, energetic, detail-oriented, and comfortable with public speaking. Competency with Microsoft Office and Quickbooks is required. The Executive Director is responsible for overseeing the organization’s administration, programs, finances, budget, and strategic plan. Other essential duties include marketing, community outreach, and fundraising. To review the complete job description, select: Executive Director Job Description Come join our team as we continue with the creation of this dynamic community center serving the Connecticut River Valley in our Historic McIndoes Academy building. Our Mission: As a self-sustaining and all-inclusive community center, McIndoes Academy Community Center will continue its enduring educational purpose, enrich the region with events and activities and inspire an appreciation of local history. Interested candidates: Please email your resume and cover letter to: Wallace Thrall w.thrall@mcindoesacademy.org
27 Nov, 2023
Greetings!  As we wind down the busy year of 2023, this community center is coming alive! Meanwhile, the Board of Trustees continues to push forward, with several important developments this year and more planned for 2024 and beyond. A quick recap of the changes: A new standing seam roof was installed on the Academy building in August, partially funded by the Freeman Foundation and the Preservation Trust of Vermont. The McIndoes Academy ‘adopted’ the Congregational Church building across the street, folding it into our community center, giving another old building a future. We are converting the Academy library into a multi-use space, geared toward serving a broad range of community uses, and open all day, every day, as a place to meet up. This conversion will be complete by February 1, 2024. A plan to provide accessibility for the entire Academy building is nearly ready. Pushing on, we will create a plan to update the interior of the building to satisfy all code and energy requirements, make the improvements, and do the refurbishing needed for the building to fulfill its new purpose as your McIndoes Academy Community Center. As you can see, we have much to do. Your input, your financial support, and your participation are crucial. This community center is or you, for your neighbors and friends, for all of us. Wallace Thrall Board President
26 Sep, 2023
 The McIndoes Academy Community Center is thrilled to embark on an exciting journey to enhance connections, engagement, and the overall well-being of our local community. This autumn, we are set to breathe new life into the library space housed within our cherished historic Academy building. Our objective is to revitalize this space, preparing it for upcoming community center learning endeavors, including collaborating with talented local artists and authors, introducing a regular schedule of community-focused events for clubs and social gatherings, and refocusing our library programs and book distribution services. We're redesigning the space to accommodate flexible and innovative programs that will debut in 2024! Guiding reimaging community spaces project principles include: · Inclusivity and Accessibility - We will work to ensure spaces are accessible to people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. · Flexibility and Multipurpose Design – We will create spaces that can adapt to various uses. For instance, a room could serve as a community meeting space in the morning, a library program space in the afternoon, and an art project learning space in the evening. · Interactive Art Installations – Engage local artists to create installations that both beautify the space and encourage interaction will be a focus. · Technology Integration – We will continue to offer free high-speed Wi-Fi to enable people to work, study, or connect with others digitally. · Collaborative Workspaces - Designed coworking spaces will be incorporated for freelancers, remote workers, and entrepreneurs to encourage economic development and collaboration. · Community Reading Spaces – We will make available reading nooks stocked with books and magazines for residents to enjoy. · Regular Events and Programming – Plans are underway to schedule regular events, such as interactive learning workshops, community gathering opportunities, and cultural celebrations, to keep the space vibrant and active. · Feedback and Involvement – Through the Friends of the Academy, the community will be involved in the planning and decision-making process to regularly seek feedback and ideas to ensure the space meets their needs. At the heart of the reimagining community spaces project, we remember that successful community spaces are not just about physical design but also about building a sense of belonging and social cohesion. At the McIndoes Academy Community Center, we are excited to offer programs and spaces that truly enhance the quality of life for our community.
By Cynthia Stuart 06 Sep, 2023
MCINDOE FALLS, BARNET, VT – The McIndoes Academy Community Center Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the completion of the roof replacement and cupola repair project. The project is part of a larger initiative to renovate and preserve the historic McIndoes Academy building and develop a vibrant community center that will serve future generations in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and the North Country of New Hampshire. Built in 1853, the McIndoes Falls Academy building served as a local high school until 1969 and is a prominent local example of Greek Revival architecture. The roof replacement project was generously supported by a preservation grant from the Freeman Foundation, the 1772 Foundation, the Preservation Trust of Vermont, and the Town of Barnet ARPA funding award. Local contractor Nicholas Kendall from Kendall Standing Seam, LLC performed the work to replace the standing seam roof and repair the signature building cupola. Wally Thrall, Trustee Board President, shared, "It is exciting to see our vision of a preserved Academy building coming to fruition. Historic building preservation is important as it serves as a tangible link to our past and not only honors our ancestors' craftsmanship and creativity but also fosters a sense of community and place that is unique to Vermont's rural villages." The McIndoes Academy Community Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit located in McIndoe Falls, a village of Barnet, Vermont, with a mission to serve as a self-sustaining and all-inclusive community center, continuing its enduring educational purpose, enriching the region with events and activities, and inspiring an appreciation of local history now and into the future. Community members can find additional information about becoming involved and supporting the McIndoes Academy Community Center at www.mcindoesacademy.org .
By Cynthia Stuart 16 Mar, 2023
2022 Annual Report
19 Sep, 2022
As the new sign is up at the McIndoes Academy Community Center, visitors sometimes inquire about the s on McIndoe in the community center’s name asking if perhaps we made a typo. The McIndoes Academy Community Center is in McIndoe Falls after all. The response is no, it’s not a typo, but there is a long and interesting history of conversation about the s. The village of McIndoe Falls was settled in the late 1700s and the name used at that time was McIndoes Falls, as a Scotsman named John McIndoe had a mill on the brook which dumps into the Connecticut River here. This name was employed until the late 1800s when the State of Vermont changed it to McIndoe Falls. We have no idea why that was done. The Academy here was founded in 1853 and registered with the State of Vermont as 'The McIndoes Falls Academy' and that name, to this day, is the legal name for the Academy. Over the years, the casual moniker for this village that was frequently used, and is still employed, is McIndoes. Call it slang or a colloquialism if you will. That also affected the name of the Academy. We have an old sign from the early 1900s in the upstairs of the building that says McIndoes Academy. We can't give you a date when that came to pass. In working toward rebirthing the Academy as the McIndoes Academy Community Center, we, the Board of Trustees, finally settled on staying with 'McIndoes Academy', as it rolls off the tongue much easier than 'The McIndoes Falls Academy Community Center' or even 'McIndoe Falls Academy Community Center'. You can call it what you will, but as long as the name McIndoe is in there somewhere, most people will know what you're referring to.  Wally Thrall, Board President
Show More

Our Mission

As a self-sustaining and all-inclusive community center, McIndoes Academy Community Center will continue its enduring educational purpose, enrich the region with events and activities and inspire an appreciation of local history now and into the future.

Share by: