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Headwaters Community Trust and Sterling College have signed a Purchase and Sale Agreement for Sterling’s Craftsbury Common campus – another step forward in a community effort to reimagine the future of a vital asset in the heart of the Northeast Kingdom. Headwaters now enters a period of due diligence, with closing anticipated by the end of the year. Headwaters formed in 2024 to address the lack of affordable housing in the area, as well as other unmet community needs. As conversations about Sterling’s closure unfolded, the community land trust emerged as a natural steward to ensure the campus continues to benefit the region for generations to come. The path to an agreement proved more complex than either organization anticipated. For Sterling’s trustees, the challenge was to find a future for the campus that aligns the college’s mission and relationship with the community with their organizational and fiduciary responsibilities. “Trustees worked hard to find a path forward that honors what this campus has meant to Craftsbury for nearly seven decades,” said Allison Hooper, Chair of the Sterling College Board of Trustees. “We're grateful to have found a partner in Headwaters, which shares that commitment to the community and the potential for future educational programs.” “A lot of people care deeply about this place,” said Linda Ramsdell, Headwaters’ Board President. “Our job now is to ensure the community has a voice in what comes next.” If the sale is successful, Headwaters intends to move quickly on one established community priority: the relocation of Craftsbury Saplings to the campus. The child care center intends to renovate one of the dormitories, nearly doubling its enrollment capacity and adding infant care for the first time. Headwaters will also continue conversations with former Sterling College faculty and staff interested in launching educational programs on a portion of the campus. Other possibilities remain open. Headwaters intends to work with the community to identify and evaluate ideas for the rest of the campus, alongside feasibility work to understand what the property can realistically support. Headwaters received early technical assistance for acquisition efforts from regional and state partners, including Preservation Trust of Vermont and Northern Forest Center. Contingent on a successful sale, Headwaters has secured funding to support assessments to determine feasible uses for the campus buildings and infrastructure.
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