The Antrim Select Board is considering a proposal for a land swap that would facilitate the Town of Antrim donation of the town’s historic “Brown Church” to the Antrim Historical Society. 

Longtime resident and former state legislator Gordon Allen has  offered to donate 14 acres of land to the town to be used for affordable housing, as well as five acres of land to the town’s transfer station to enable expansion of the facility. In exchange, Allen requests that the town, which holds the deed on the former Antrim Church of Christ – known to residents as the “Brown Church” – donate the church to the Antrim Historical Society. 

“What I am asking tonight is for the Select Board is to confer with town counsel and figure out how we can make this happen,” Allen said at Monday night’s meeting. “The town has to figure out what is the best way to get the church to the Antrim Historical Society. Most people in town would like to see that happen.” 

The AHS is currently housed in the third floor of Tuttle Library. Gordon noted that “the library would like to have their third floor back.”

In 2024, more than 100 town residents signed a petition for a special Town Meeting requesting the Select Board forgive back taxes on the church and donate the building to AHS. The board refused the request on the grounds that they did not have the authority to forgive tax liens, and that doing so would set a bad precedent for the town. 

According to Helene Newbold of AHS, the origin of the $30,000 tax lien is unclear, as the former Church of Christ building has legally been a church since it was built in the late 1800s. The town has stated that the lien was valid, as the building had ceased to be used as a church. 

Allen stipulated that the land he donates must be used for affordable housing “in perpetuity.” The Contoocook Valley Housing Trust would build and administrate the affordable housing units for the town.

“The only way to do that is with rental properties,” Allen said.

The land Allen is willing to donate to the town are part of a 320-acre tract on Smith Road that abuts the Antrim Transfer Station. Allen’s forester, Charles Levesque, said the land would be subdivided into three parcels, with 14 acres going to the town for affordable housing, five acres going to the transfer station and the remaining acreage going into permanent conservation easement with the New England Forest Society. 

“The forest society will be surveying the entire parcel. We will come to the Planning Board with the plan,” Levesque said. 

Select Board Chair Mike Ott said “the concept is a good one.”

“A land swap makes sense: it is land we want for land we don’t want. The town does not want the church, and removing it from the tax rolls is a good idea. Five acres for the dump would be great, and I agree that most residents in town would like to see the church go to AHS,” Mott said. “It is a really good idea if the numbers work out.” 

The five-acre gift would double the size of the town’s transfer station. Director of Public Works Tyler Tommila confirmed that he is in favor of the plan.

Allen’s proposal includes a requirement that the town create a right-of-way from his property through town land. According to Allen, access to the land is currently blocked by wetlands created by the construction of the transfer station. 

“The town created the swamp, and we need a road through the swamp,” Allen said. “Tyler can figure out a way to do it.” 

Select Board member Bob Edwards asked Allen if he would be willing to sell the acreage to the town without the contingent land swap for the church. Allen declined. 

In answer to questions from Select Board member John Robertson, Newbold said the AHS  board was 100% behind the proposal and prepared to accept the donation of the church.

“This has been a roller coaster ride for us. We have wanted to do this since 2023 when Lee Davis (representing the family which owns the church) first offered to donate the church to AHS,” Newbold said. 

Planning Board member John Anderson spoke in favor of the proposal. 

“I just want to be clear that this is a significant gift to the town,” Anderson said. “It will bring up to 20 units of affordable housing to the town,  and that housing will be on the tax rolls. We are completely in support of figuring out a way to make this happen.” 

All three members of the Select Board agreed to explore the proposal, with further discussion scheduled for the next meeting of the board on April 28.