The Francestown Improvement and Historical Society received one of the NH Preservation Alliance’s 12 annual awards for its rescue and revival of the historic downtown Long Store Building earlier this month.
Francestown’s general store was known as the second-oldest, continually running general store in the country when it closed on July 6, 2017. FIHS has been working since then to restore the building and its businesses. The Historical Society was able to purchase the building after Nevadan donor William Smith read about their plight and paid the building’s foreclosure costs and back taxes. They’ve been working since then to restore the 1814-vintage building and vet business owners for the space. Last year, Phillip Lawrence and his family took on operation of the Francestown Village Store, joining financial adviser Michael White of Ameriprise and fine artist Rosemary Conroy in a once-again full and busy building.
Last week, FIHS members attended the NHPA’s online ceremony to commemorate their efforts, and the state senate passed a resolution acknowledging their receipt of the preservation award on Monday, member Charlie Pyle said. “It’s just an honor to be honored like that,” he said, after all the hard work the FIHS committee, volunteers, and more than 200 donors put into the restoration.
“It feels wonderful,” to have the project completed and the store back in business, Pyle said. “I think there’s a lot of pride in the community. There’s not a lot downtown in Francestown,” he said. “Without the store, the heart of the community would be missing,” he said. Although Smith visited Francestown in 2018 after donating more than $100,000 to help FIHS purchase the building, Smith has only seen pictures since the store fully reopened, Pyle said, but there have been talks about another visit.
Meanwhile, business at the store has been going well, Lawrence said. “People appreciate that we’re open,” he said, especially when they don’t have to travel far to get staples like milk and eggs if they, say, run out while following a recipe. The store’s kitchen opened a little over a month ago, Lawrence said, and they currently serve breakfast sandwiches in the morning, and deli subs, sandwiches, and wraps in the afternoon and evening, along with meat and cheese by the pound. They’re looking into offering pizza in the evenings, he said, and lottery tickets and an ATM are coming soon.