ABOUT
The Rupert Village Trust
The Rupert Village Trust is a nonprofit organization whose mission is historic preservation and community development in the Designated Village Center of Rupert, Vermont. We operate a community center in the historic Sheldon General Store building, while working towards the long term goal of a café on the main floor, and community activities in the former grange hall upstairs.
Our Mission
Our mission is community connection in Rupert, and our goal is to create and sustain a hub of social opportunity in the Designated Village Center of Rupert. Our first major project is a community center and café in the historic Sheldon General Store. With no other casual gathering place in town, we believe that this project is pioneering a trend towards social vitality and a greater sense of community in Rupert.
Our Vision
We envision a community in which people are connected through shared interests, experiences, and proximity. We build this through frequent cultural, educational, and social events at the community center, while a cafe on the main floor offers opportunities for casual social gatherings around food.
Our Values
The café and community center empower and support the whole community by removing financial and physical barriers to events and programs. We will support the café operator in making meals accessible to everyone.
We prioritize and invest in local labor and products, while maintaining quality and aesthetics in keeping with the Sheldon Store’s historical integrity.
Our programming is diverse in order to appeal to a broad range of interests and populations.
We promote peace and mutual respect in a non-violent and politically neutral space, encouraging open and flexible conversations.
The Goal
The Café
The Rupert Village Trust will lease space to an independent café operator, and continue to schedule events and programs in the upstairs event space. RVT will implement a comprehensive marketing plan to assure that the café has the best possible chance of long-term success. This arrangement is called Community Supported Enterprise, and has been proven successful in small rural communities throughout Vermont.
The Historic Sheldon Store
Built around 1890 as farmer's exchange and grange hall, the building became the Sheldon General Store starting in the 1920's. It closed in the 1980's, and was vacant until it was purchased by the Loomis family in 2005. The Loomises put it on the market around 2015, where it remained until purchased by the Rupert Village Trust in 2019 with a generous donation. Rupert Village Trust purchased additional adjacent land from the Town in 2022 to make room for the infrastructure necessary for the cafe and community center.
