Tenth Cavalry Apartments Recognized as the “Best of the Best” by Efficiency Vermont

From Left: Susie Brooks, Engelberth Construction; Tim Yandow, VEIC; Kirsten Merriman Shapiro, Champlain Housing Trust; Sandra Silla, Evernorth; Miranda Lescaze, Champlain Housing Trust; Shawn Brennan, Freeman French Freeman

A trio of historic buildings at Fort Ethan Allen in Colchester are among the “best of the best” in sustainable design, says the state’s energy efficiency utility.

Tenth Cavalry Apartments was one of several award-winning projects recognized by Efficiency Vermont at the 2026 Better Buildings by Design Conference on May 6.

Named after the “Buffalo Soldiers”—an all-black regiment of the U.S. Army that lived at Fort Ethan Allen more than a century ago—Tenth Cavalry Apartments includes sixty-five permanently affordable homes in three historic structures.

Built in 1904, the buildings were used by the U.S. Army as residential barracks until 1964 and then by Saint Michael’s College as student dorms until the early 2010s. After sitting vacant for nearly a decade, non-profit housing partners Evernorth and Champlain Housing Trust began a multi-year effort to redevelop the property as permanently affordable housing.

Redeveloping the 78,000 square-foot project required balancing multiple goals. Environmental contaminants including PCBs, lead and asbestos had to be cleaned up. Architectural features like tin ceilings, slate roofs, and original windows needed to be restored to meet Park Service rules for nationally registered historic properties. And then there was the architectural puzzle of turning long-vacant dorms into modern apartments in a 120-year-old building.

On top of these challenges was a strong desire by all parties to make the project as energy efficient as possible. While some options were ruled out—no solar panels on the historic slate roofs, for example—other features like furred exterior walls and cellulose insulation in the attic (R-60) vastly improved envelope performance. All LED lighting, ultra-high efficiency plumbing fixtures, and high-efficiency gas boilers helped the building meet Efficiency Vermont’s standards for High Performance Buildings.

Another benefit is the greenhouse gas “savings” that come with historic preservation. Reusing many original building elements—the triple wythe brick walls and slate roofing, for example—dramatically reduces the “carbon debt” created by the manufacturing of new building materials. The result is a building that requires more carbon to operate (because it is less energy efficient than new construction) but may use less carbon over its lifespan (because less carbon was required in its construction).

The result of all this effort? Pure joy for the people who now call Tenth Cavalry Apartments home. Every unit features high ceilings, historic charm, abundant natural light, and excellent indoor air quality. More importantly, the apartments are deeply affordable, with many paying about half of what market-rate landlords charge for similar homes. Fifteen of the apartments are reserved for people exiting homelessness and rent on another eighteen units is capped at 30% of household income.

Converting these buildings into affordable rental homes not only generates much-needed housing but also preserves beautiful architecture, reduces sprawl into undeveloped land, and generates new life in an established neighborhood. The project is an outstanding example of development done “the Vermont way”—with integrity, trust, and a genuine desire to improve the place we call home.