Case Study : Post and Beam Brewing, Grand Army of the Republic Hall, Peterborough
A Town Landmark
Sometimes, all it takes is a long wait for the perfect new use for a historic building to materialize. Along with a tremendous amount of hard work, vision, creativity and beer-making skills.
Peterborough's Grand Army of the Republic Hall, located on a rise above Grove Street in the center of town, was built in 1837 as the Peterborough Academy, a private high school. After the Civil War it became the headquarters for a series of veteran fraternal organizations, beginning with the Grand Army of the Republic, and then served as a teen center until 2011.
The building's classical brick architecture, prominent white tower and imposing war memorials on the front lawn secured its stature as an important local landmark. However, after 2011 finding a new use for the town-owned building proved difficult, and in 2013 the community voted to sell the property, with the protection of a preservation easement. Several parties expressed interest over the next few years, but none came to fruition.
Sharing Stories Over Beers
As so often happens in small towns, a few years later a friend of Tyler Ward, a member of the Select Board, knew a team looking for space to start a brewery, Erika Rosenfeld and Jeff Odland from nearby Mont Vernon. Introductions were made, Erika described her business goals, and after agreeing that Post and Beam Brewing would be a great fit, Tyler walked her through the old hall. Its fantastic location and beauty won her over, along with the challenge of preserving a place that so many in town cared about. As Erika explains, “ if we could pull it off, we'd be doing more than just building our own business; we'd be giving something to the town by restoring such a wonderful building.” A vision of Union soldiers gathering at the hall, sharing stories over beers, gave the project life.
Financing and Partners
Erika and Jeffrey purchased the property for $100,000. To start, Erika wrote an extensive business plan and then worked with the New Hampshire Small Business Development Center to tighten it up and make additional contacts. The pair financed the project with a large chunk of personal money and loans from the Bangor Savings Bank and Monadnock Economic Development Corporation, a partner who Erika notes genuinely cares about growing the economy in the Monadnock region. Sweat equity also played a major role in the financing package. Erika was onsite every day for 14 months, managing the project and doing everything from wielding a sledgehammer, to finish work, tiling, painting and more.
Finding the right contractor was also key. The renovations were extensive, including the installation of geothermal ground-source heating and cooling, updated plumbing and electrical systems, an elevator, entrance and brewing area in the basement, and a refinished taproom and kitchen upstairs. After starting work with one contractor, the pair made the difficult decision to bring on a different one, Native Construction LLC, in order to implement their vision for a craft brewery and meet the challenges of bringing a historic building up to code while staying within a budget. According to Erika, Native Construction was “able to take my ideas and find ways to make them happen … Beyond being hardworking and highly skilled, they are respectful, creative, affordable, and dedicated.”
The project found another partner in town officials. As the holder of the property's preservation easement, the town's Select Board was tasked with approving all exterior changes to the building, with recommendations by the Heritage Commission. Although there were some admittedly “contentious moments” during the approval process, the new property owners focused on the shared goal of maintaining the history and integrity of the building and found solutions that satisfied everyone.
The town, in turn, granted the property owners tax relief at the conclusion of construction through the Community Revitalization Tax Relief Incentive Program (NH RSA 79-E). The program offers property owners short-term property tax relief for projects that repair and reuse under-utilized commercial buildings, while maintaining their historic character. In the case of Post and Beam Brewing, the property tax relief as well as the energy cost savings realized from the geothermal HVAC system will reduce operating costs moving forward.
The Final Push
The new owners used one additional innovative financing tool once major construction was finished – crowdfunding in exchange for beer swag and mug club memberships. The campaign on Indiegogo raised funds to put the final touches on the taproom, but more importantly engaged soon-to-be customers, giving them a chance to get involved. Post and Beam Brewing opened to rave reviews in the summer of 2018. A few months later Tyler Ward – the selectman who introduced Erika and Jeff to the GAR Hall – successfully nominated the project for an annual preservation award from the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance.
Related Resources
Post and Beam Brewing, http://www.postandbeambrewery.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/postandbeambrewing/ , 603-784-5361
New Hampshire Small Business Development Center, https://www.nhsbdc.org/, 603-862-2200
Bangor Savings Bank, https://www.bangor.com/, 603-352-4939
Monadnock Economic Development Corporation, http://www.monadnock-development.org/, 603-352-4939.
Preservation Easements – https://nhpreservation.org/community-landmarks-easements
Community Revitalization Tax Relief Incentive – https://nhpreservation.org/commercial-property-79e
Indiegogo Crowdfunding, https://www.indiegogo.com/