Posted in Vermont History December 24, 2017 by Kristin Grimes

This Has To Be The Weirdest Thing That Almost Happened In Vermont

Some big things happened in the year 1979. For example ESPN launched on cable television, Sony introduced the Sony Walkman, and even the Sahara Desert experienced snow for 30 minutes. But there’s something to be said about what didn’t take place, and we think you’ll get a laugh out of it. So without further ado, let’s take a look at the weirdest thing that almost happened in VT.

In 1979, there was a plan to build a dome over Winooski in effort to conserve heat and reduce oil consumption.

That's right, officials said that a one square mile dome would reduce residents heating bills by up to 90 percent.

It all started when a group of young city planners went out for dinner. Then, over a few glasses of wine, the idea of a dome was proposed.

And the next morning, the idea still seemed like a good one.

While this idea raised eyebrows at first, the City Council hopped on board. You see, they thought that it could mean millions in HUD money.

When word of the dome got out, roughly 20 full mail bags a day from supporters were delivered to City Hall. Some companies even offered to build the dome themselves!

The dome was set to be 250 feet tall. It would be high enough to cover the tallest building, but low enough to not interfere with airplanes.

What about automobile exhaust you might ask?

As you may have guessed, the dome was never built.

The next time you’re in Winooski, the town where the dome almost happened in VT, why not check out one of our favorite places for Mac & Cheese themed restaurant that is what dreams are made of.

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This Has To Be The Weirdest Thing That Almost Happened In Vermont

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