A massive painting showing 350 years of Vermont history has been donated to the Vermont Historical Society, where it will be preserved and protected.
The mural "Tribute to Vermont" by Paul Sample has been hanging in the lobby of National Life Group's headquarters in Montpelier since 1961.
The insurance company says the painting — measuring 50 feet across and eight feet high — shows scenes ranging from Samuel de Champlain's arrival in the Champlain Valley in 1609 to the development of the ski industry in the 1950s.
National Life says conservators have found dirt on the painting's surface, as well as paint loss and sections where the mural has been damaged.
The Vermont Historical Society plans to install the painting in a permanent exhibit at its Vermont History Museum in Montpelier.
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