By Nicholas Brown
Staff Writer

A group of Epsom residents has been researching plans to save one of New Hampshire’s most visible historic structures, which is in danger of being demolished in favor of a Cumberland Farms gas station and convenience store.

Cumberland Farms first signaled interest in the Route 4 and Blackhall Road property featuring a massive church and meeting house building in May 2005, and the company will appear before the planning board with a site plan by the end of this month.

More than a year ago, Cumberland Farms said it would donate the building to the town, and offered $10,000 toward the cost of relocating the historic structure, which was most recently the home of the Epsom Bible Church and the attached Cornerstone Christian Academy.

The church building, which features a tall tower and spire, and invokes Greek and Renaissance Revival architecture, has been deemed eligible for both the state and national registries of historic places.

“My biggest fear is people driving by, seeing a Cumberland Farms, and saying, ‘Why didn’t anyone save that church?’” said Dick Frambach, chairman of the Friends of Epsom’s Historic Meetinghouse Committee, formed by selectmen last year.

At the June 19, selectmen’s meeting, committee members presented four options for saving the building, built in 1861. Friends committee members also suggested the building could serve as a spot for new town offices.

“All we need is for the town to get behind us and we can do this,” said committee member Bruce Graham. “We could have ourselves a new town complex with very little expense to the taxpayers.”

Town offices are currently in a rented space off Blackhall Road at an annual cost of about $20,000, said Selectman Mary Frambach.

Three of the plans presented included relocating the church building to another site. Those included state-owned land directly across Blackhall Road, town land behind the police station off Route 28 and the Route 4 site of the new library and old town hall.

Committee members also proposed disassembling the building and storing it for future assembly. Committee member Penny Graham, however, said that fourth option would likely be more costly than moving the building, and that it could mean the “long-term loss of a prominent Epsom landmark.”

Committee members said costs attached to moving the building would come from preservation and restoration advice, hiring professional building movers and utilities, as wires and cables would have to be temporarily removed to navigate the tall building through Epsom.

Committee members said they have some estimates for moving the building, but declined to discuss those numbers publicly.

Before any action, however, the town would have to take ownership of the building. Town attorney Tony Soltani said that could be done by hosting two public hearings followed by a majority vote of selectmen, provided the ownership comes at no expense.

Some committee members suggested moving expenses could be worked into a warrant article for next year’s Town Meeting, but local planning officials said there’s no guarantee Cumberland Farms won’t be building before next spring.

Keith Cota, chairman of Epsom’s zoning board, said his impression was that Cumberland Farms intends to build, “as fast as they possibly can.”

Cumberland Farms is set to appear before the planning board on June 28, said the board’s chairman, Betsy Bosiak.

Friends committee members said they’ve gathered more than $40,000 in donations toward salvation efforts, and said scores of other residents have voiced interest in helping their cause.

The group was also awarded a grant from the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, but committee members didn’t disclose if they’d compiled enough funding to move the building without first appealing to taxpayers through a warrant article.