GUILFORD — The Friends Of Algiers Village, Inc., the nonprofit organization that purchased the Guilford Country Store, has appointed Chris Cole, of Cole Construction Management of Manchester, to serve as the construction manager for the store's long-awaited renovations.
Work to bring the building to modern standards and codes will start early this fall. Once this work is completed, the Guilford Country Store will reopen.
During the construction, the FOA will search for a tenant to lease and operate the store.
Cole has served as construction manager for many projects, including numerous ones involving the historic preservation of significant buildings, the latest being the renovations on the Bullock Building in Readsboro.
As construction manager, Cole will represent the owners in all phases of the project, from planning through construction.
Brattleboro architect Jim Williams has designed the store section to contain the general store, including a deli and a public restroom.
The store is located in the historic Broad Brook House in the Algiers section of Guilford. Built in 1817, the building has served as a hotel, a stagecoach stop, and, for many years, the Guilford Country Store.
The building also contains two second-floor apartments, one of which has been adapted from the former ballroom.
Concurrent with the construction work, the owners are
In announcing Cole's appointment, FOA President Eric Morse stated that Cole's experience was what attracted him to the group.
The FOA has been working closely with the Preservation Trust of Vermont and has received federal and state grants for the project.
The FOA is continuing a fund drive to complete the renovations.
To learn more, or to make a contribution to help reopen the store, contact project chairman Fred Humphrey at 802-257-7306, Morse at 802-254-8477, or any member of the Board of Directors.