The future of the National Guard Armory in Peterborough is up for grabs.
As part of the state's reorganization of the Guard announced last month, the Armory itself is closing.
But the property it sits on may end up back in the hands of the family that owned it until the 1940s.
The Keene Sentinel's Donna Moxley reports.
The armory on Elm Street is being closed as part of a New Hampshire Army National Guard reorganization.
The 56 soldiers of the 210th Engineer Detachment are scheduled to be moved to Concord within the next two years.
Town Manager Pamela Brenner said she’s received at least 10 calls from businesses and organizations looking to use the commercially zoned property.
The town itself is considering ways to use the armory for official purposes.
But a clause in the property's deed may return ownership to the family that donated it to the National Guard.
Brenner: it’s way too early to talk about future use (etc)
The founders of the A. Erland and Hazel N. Goyette Memorial Fund, created to benefit the town, gave the 4(point 22) acres to the New Hampshire National Guard in 1948.
According to Guard officials, the deed calls for the property to revert back to its original owner once the state doesn’t want it anymore.
It’s unclear whether descendants of the Goyettes remain, but their estate could still retain its right to the land.
Brenner said the deed has been forwarded to the town’s attorney for interpretation, and officials should have an opinion on it within the next few weeks.
Although there has been talk of developing the property over the years, officials from the Chamber of Commerce and the (local business incubator, name at home) said they knew of no specific businesses interested.
Jack Dugan, the town’s business development officer, did not return phone calls.
The town, on the other hand, was eyeing the property for future use, including using it to replace the public works department next-door and develop that property for recreation.
For NHPR news, I’m Donna Moxley.
