December 18, 2025

Deconstruction Works

The property at 78 River Road, originally the Windham College Fieldhouse, was purchased by Landmark College in Spring 2025.

When the College purchased the property at 78 River Road last Spring, it was with the understanding that significant work would be required before it could be used in any capacity. But the opportunity to acquire such a large facility that was adjacent to campus (and which was originally the Windham College Fieldhouse) was too good to pass up.

Initial assessments of the building conducted in October by a campus planner indicated that the framework of the building was sound. However, the multiple uses of the facility by different types of businesses over the years necessitated a thorough gutting of the interior.

Fortunately, southern Vermont has the Deconstruction Works organization to assist with this type of project in a responsible and sustainable manner. The organization has been working with commercial and residential property owners for years to harvest building materials and make sure they are properly recycled or re-used.

“Institutions, whether they be hospitals or higher education, have a tendency to expand and remodel, so they’re great to partner with,” said Deconstruction Works founder Erich Kruger, noting that Landmark College has hired his firm previously for other projects, including the renovation of Aiken Hall. “You can’t really bring an excavator into a building like this and crush it. It has to be done carefully and methodically.”

man lifting up a piece of wooden siding from the top of a large pile — Erich Kruger (left) of Deconstruction Works shows pieces of wooden siding harvested from the demollition project at the newly acquired 78 River Road facility.

So far, Kruger and his team have been able to extract insulation, lumber, and ceiling tiles, among other materials that can be re-used by other builders looking to save costs. They have also been able to pull out aluminum and copper wiring and ensure it is recycled in an environmentally safe manner.

Kruger said they list available items on the Deconstruction Works Facebook page as soon they are generated, and he sees “tremendous opportunity” in what they are uncovering at 78 River Road.

“We’re saving items which are really unique to the time period in which they were made,” Kruger said, while showing a bathroom sink operated by foot pedals. “We just got our asbestos clearance, so we were really doing a light touch until we found out what materials, if any, contained asbestos. Now we’re moving into the stage where we’re unwrapping framing, plywood, that sort of thing.”

How will Landmark College make use of the property once Deconstruction Works completes their job? Stay tuned to this blog to find out.

gray haired man and woman in red jacket standing next to a stack of ceiling tiles in a large warehouse space.