The History of the Burklyn Arts Council

Elizabeth Brouha, a lifetime member of the Council, founded Burklyn in 1971 to focus attention on a local landmark, Burklyn Hall. Burklyn Hall, a 35 room mansion with panoramic views of two sweeping valleys, had been the 1908 creation of New York hotel owner Elmer Darling who owned and operated a farm on the ridge where his mansion was built and from which he supplied his hotel’s dining rooms with Vermont dairy products. In the 1950’s, Mrs. Brouha had discovered a junior conservatory being held during the summer months in one of the Burklyn barns. An artist herself, she understood the value of arts in education and development of young minds, dedicated herself to ensuring that Northeast Kingdom youngsters have at least some of the benefits she had enjoyed growing up in Belgium.

By the 1970’s, when she had become a permanent resident of Sutton, Mrs. Brouha found Burklyn Hall in a sad state of repair and falling into the hands of the state; Elmer Darling had left no heirs to maintain his masterpiece. It was the fate of Burklyn hall which prompted her to incorporate Friends of Burklyn to find a way to save the estate, but this original purpose soon gave way to the goals which Burklyn Arts Council now hold. In the meantime, the building has gone through many changes and now is in private hands.