Sally Fishburn, Danville, VT: 2026 Preservation Award Winner

Arguably, historic windows are the most important character-defining feature of a historic building and also the most challenging to preserve. One person stands out as having met that challenge head-on: Sally Fishburn, of SA Fishburn in Danville. An architect by training, Sally realized early in her career she wanted a more hands-on relationship with buildings so she sought out preservation carpentry classes at the North Bennet Street School in Boston. She was hooked. After a few years at Littleton Millwork in New Hampshire, she opened a shop in Danville doing window, door, and plaster restoration. As the business grew, her wife Susannah joined her part-time. From the founding of S.A. Fishburn, Inc. in 2001, Sally shaped her company around a mission that respects the soul of historic buildings: repair rather than replace, improve performance while honoring original materials, and integrate preservation principles into every intervention. Throughout her career she has helped hundreds preserve plaster and original windows of houses, churches, and public buildings, demonstrating that careful restoration can often achieve greater longevity and environmental performance than wholesale replacement. Among her many are the Haskell Library and Opera House in Derby, the Old Stonehouse Museum in Brownington, the Old North Church in North Danville, Ascutney Union Church, River Arts in Morrisvile, and the Harwick Memorial Building. Sally estimates that she is responsible for keeping more than one thousand windows still in use. Yet Sally’s impact reaches far beyond her own workshop. She is a dedicated educator who generously shares her hard-won expertise with others in the preservation community. Through workshops, hands-on apprenticeships, speaking engagements, and educational sessions through Historic Windsor and the Traditional Building Conference Series, Sally has taught window restoration and plaster preservation to generations of craftsmen, architects, preservationists, and students. In every undertaking—whether meticulously restoring sash, repairing historic plaster ceilings, training craftspeople, or speaking to preservation audiences—Sally exemplifies what it means to be both a master craftsperson and a community resource. Her work has strengthened countless buildings across Vermont, enriched the skill sets of professionals statewide and beyond, and fostered a deeper appreciation for historic preservation as both a craft and a cultural imperative. Sally Fisburn’s contribution to the historic fabric of Vermont is exceptional. Combined with her generous and skilled contributions in education and outreach, Sally has played a pivotal role ensuring that traditional building skills will thrive well into the future. Award to: Sally Fishburn