Exactly six months after their Francestown home burned to the ground, Bob and Judy Bitterli welcomed the community to an open house to celebrate the progress on their house at 1 Maine St.
“I thought this would be an opportunity for everyone to ask the people who are actually building the house all the questions you have been asking me,” Bitterli said. “We are rising from the ashes, and we are building it as close as possible to what we once had. We are so grateful for all the support we have had from the town. We recognize that the whole town has been behind us, and that’s why we wanted to share this moment with you all.”
The former Levi Woodbury estate has been the most prominent home in Francestown’s historic village for over 200 years. The house, built in 1787, had been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2007 and was the birthplace of New Hampshire Governor Levi Woodbury. The house remained in the Woodbury family until the 1960s.
“We are really hoping to be back in before a year has gone by since the fire, which was in January,” Judy Bitterli said. “We’re so grateful for everyone we are working with on this project.”
The Bitterlis, who purchased the property in 2022, are rebuilding the house using the same post-and-beam construction utilized in the original structure.
Before the open house, the Bitterlis hosted a reception for the reconstruction crew, including Caleb and Karen Niemela of Niemela Design, Josh Stewart of Francestown Sand & Gravel, and Ken and Tina Christie of Woodell and Daughters Forest Products.
The Bitterlis are also working with NH architect Andrea Warchaizer, who specializes in timber frame construction.
Niemela had previously worked on the property when he restored the barn, now the home of Bob’s Chocolate Cafe.
“Caleb did great work on the barn, so we knew we wanted him back to rebuild the house,” Judy Bitterli said.
The barn was unharmed in the January 26th fire, but remained closed for several weeks while electricity and water were restored to the property.
The Bitterlis shared details of the project with about 50 community members who attended a tour of the building Saturday evening.
“Josh (Stewart) did all the work of tearing the old home down and clearing it out, and one of the things that has surprised me is that over 200 tons of rock from the original foundation, which just boggles my mind, but we are the Granite State,” Bitterli said.
Bitterli said many people have asked him why he didn’t keep the original granite foundation in place.
“The reason was that the old foundation was all scorched, and six months down the road, we did not want to smell that smoke again,” Bitterli said.
The fire, which started in the basement of the home, spread so quickly that the Bitterlis escaped with only the clothes on their backs.
Niemela said it is unusual to see a family rebuild a historic home to the exact specifications of the original structure.
“This wouldn’t be possible if someone didn’t want to recreate this just how it was,” Niemela said. “To be involved in this project is a real honor.”
The post-and-beam construction, which is as close as possible to the methods used to build the home in the 18th century, uses no metal nails, instead employing wooden pegs.
“The only metal is the support in the ridge beams,” Niemela said.
According to Niemela, the massive beams used in the frame are “heartsong timber,” which are the hearts of green trees cut specifically for the project by Langdon.
“These beams that you’re leaning against were all still trees when the house burned down,” Bitterli said. “Ken at Woodell and Daughters has been the mastermind behind all that.”
Bitterli said the event was a chance for the community to walk around inside the house before the walls go up.
“That’s the next step,” Bitterli said. “The walls start coming up on Monday.”