by Rick Winston-
ADAMANT — There may be new life for a historic Calais building, the Adamant Community Club, thanks to a recently inaugurated Kickstarter campaign.
Originally a one-room schoolhouse built in the 1890s, the Adamant Community Club was founded in 1962 as a nonprofit organization and has hosted a variety of meetings, concerts, and other events over the years. Mark Greenberg, who has performed several times at the Community Club as part of the duo Anything Goes, says, “It’s one of our favorite venues — intimate, friendly, and appreciative. We especially love that we can play without electronic sound reinforcement — the way our music was meant to be heard — and the sense of history and community that emanates from the old school house.” Danny Coane of the Starline Rhythm Boys, adds, “We had a real attentive and responsive audience in a wonderfully intimate, great sounding room with such a homey, comfortable feel.”
Recently, however, the club has been dormant and we are hoping to raise $7,500 for two vital improvements that will make the club a functional event venue once more.
The physical siting of the Community Club makes even a simple mound septic system unlikely, and we have been working with a company in Putney, Full Circle Compost, to develop a composting toilet system that will be both sufficient for our needs and reasonably priced. We will also be replacing the outmoded heater, which has made wintertime concerts a unique challenge.
These two goals are the first step in re-establishing the Adamant Community Club as a vital part of village life. We hope to apply for grants this fall for other needed work: replacement of the building’s roof, shoring up both the porch roof and the the front steps, and planning for ADA accessibility. But first, the composting toilet and the new heating system will allow the club to begin hosting events once more.
To find out more about the project and to contribute, go to Kickstarter.com and search for “adamant community club” or go directly to our link: kickstarter.com/projects/2086456092/adamant-community-club
If you would like to contribute, but don’t want to do so online or have no computer access, call Rick Winston, 454-7103, or Janet MacLeod, 223-2296.
