About two miles upstream from downtown Montpelier, there’s an island sandwiched between Route 2, the railroad and the Winooski River. Most of the land is undeveloped. Fields and trees.

By the road, though, is a 19th-century Greek Revival house, a barn and the ell that connects the two. Or, at least, that’s what was there. The day I visit in early August, all that’s left of the ell is an open platform. There’s no roof on the second floor of the house.

"Today we're taking the nogging out," explains Dave Giese, with the company Deconstruction Works. "So in the old houses, they used brick as kind of the insulation."

The company is taking apart the buildings board by board — and brick by brick — so the materials can be bought and reused.

Giese says they've sold all the bricks.

"As much bri

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