BROWNINGTON, Vt. (AP) — The Vermont Statehouse is going to be getting a portrait of the man who is thought to have been the first Black state lawmaker in the country.
On Sunday, the non-profit group Friends of the Vermont State House announced it was commissioning a portrait of Alexander Twilight.
Last week marked the 225th birthday of Twilight in Corinth. Earlier this year lawmakers supported a resolution to make his birthday “Alexander Twilight Day.”
Twilight graduated from Middlebury College in 1823 and later moved to Brownington to serve as the principal of the Orleans County Grammar School. In 1836 he was elected to represent Brownington in the Legislature.
A death notice published in the Caledonian Record on July 11, 1857, following his June 19 death at age 61 highlighted Twilight’s significance as an educator and leader.
“Mr. Twilight was for many years Principal of the Orleans County Grammar School, well-known as an efficient teacher, and one long to be remembered,” the paper reported.
The Friends of the Vermont State House committed to the Twilight portrait idea this summer and they were ready to launch a fundraising drive, but the National Life Group offered to pay for the portrait.
“The friends were getting ready for a full-blown capital campaign, and it was wonderful to get that donor now,” said Schutz.
Schutz said a Statehouse portrait typically costs $30,000 to $40,000.
Schutz said the Friends have discussed for several years the need to feature Twilight among the State House portraits and the need for a broader effort to showcase a more inclusive environment.
The organization is now beginning the search for an artist to paint Twilight’s portrait.
“We will probably keep it a Vermont process, but we do want any and all portrait artists to respond,” Schutz said.
The portrait is expected to be ready to hang in the Statehouse in 2022.
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