WINDHAM — Old, new and a mix of the two mark the half-mile stretch of Range Road.
Old are houses, among Windham's oldest. New are businesses, among Windham's newest. The mix is seen in historic structures that have been converted to new, commercial uses. The half mile is book-ended by examples of this. The Windham Restaurant is at one end, The Common Man restaurant at the other.
Now, another historic home on The Common Man property is a candidate for preservation. It will get a new lease on life as a coffeehouse.
Toward the eastern end of the half-mile stretch, at 64 Range Road, an 18th century federal-style house is up for sale.
Seeing historic homes converted to businesses delights many people. It also jibes with the master plans of many New Hampshire towns, including Windham, to preserve rural character and a connection to the past, said Cliff Sinnott, executive director of the Rockingham Planning Commission.
But the conversion of old homes to new businesses can be tough, requiring the right seller, buyer and idea to succeed.
"The core conflict here is what is good for the community isn't necessarily the most profitable thing for the owner," Sinnott said.
That's the dilemma faced by Bill Crucius, 64, who grew up at 64 Range Road. The 18th century home has Indian shutters and wide pine floors — and sentimental value for Crucius.
His original thought was to sink a couple hundred thousand dollars into rehabbing the home and renting it for commercial use to a lawyer or dentist.
But at 64, he said, he wouldn't live long enough to see his return on the investment and the house adds nothing to the value of the property.
"I've been told (numerous times) the value of this property is in the commercial value of the land, that the house has no bearing on it, " Crucius said.
The property, about 1 1/2 acres, and the house is selling for $465,000. Crucius said he has been talking to a potential buyer who is thinking of moving the house out of town.
Meanwhile, down Range Road at the old Armstrong family farm, Windham residents Barry and Lynn Goldman are working with the owner of The Common Man restaurant to breathe new life into a 19th century farmhouse next to the eatery.
That new life will smell like coffee. The Windham Planning Board approved their change-of-use plan Wednesday. If all goes well, the micro-roasters of gourmet coffee will be open for wholesale and retail business by September, they said.
The Goldmans' enterprise fits well with Sinnott's recipe for a successful transition from old house to new use. They have a desire to preserve the property, they are working with an owner who shares that perspective and they have an idea to make it happen.
"It has charm," Lynn Goldman said of the farmhouse. "We are going to make it warm, so it feels like a house."
The transition appeals to Carol Pynn, chairwoman of the Historic District/Heritage Commission.
"I think that is just an absolutely wonderful idea," Pynn said. "There has been a lot of concern about what will happen with our historic houses."
One thing that addresses this concern is zoning.
The half-mile swath of Range Road is part of the Gateway Commercial District, one of the purposes of which is to ensure that new projects there are of architectural merit. The district also encourages preservation of existing buildings with historical significance.
Planning Board Chairman Phil LoChiatto said that, in general, the reuse of historic properties is a good thing.
"It would be great to see those historic structures reused and adapted to current needs in a commercial manner that will benefit the tax base," LoChiatto said.
He pointed to a recent approval for a deck enclosure the board gave to the Windham Restaurant. The owners of the circa 1812 structure worked hand in hand with the Windham Historic District/Heritage Commission and Planning Board on a plan that develops their business and preserves the building's historic flavor.
Whether that same success will be seen at other historic properties remains to be seen.
The former Armstrong farm has another old house, on the west side of the restaurant, that also is a candidate for rehabilitation.
There are other old houses on the road, as well. Their historic value, however, may conflict with the value in tearing them down and building anew on the land.
Crucius said he would love to see the house he grew up in preserved.
"That would be the ultimate, but I don't think it will happen," he said.
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