The old Westboro ticket depot is moved from a lot on Railroad Avenue in West Lebanon, N.H., to the proposed River Park development down the road on Route 10, in the early morning hours on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. (Photo courtesy Christine Richardson)
The old Westboro ticket depot is moved from a lot on Railroad Avenue in West Lebanon, N.H., to the proposed River Park development down the road on Route 10, in the early morning hours on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. (Photo courtesy Christine Richardson) Credit: —Maggie Cassidy


West Lebanon — City Councilors and historians on Wednesday were celebrating the scheduled move of a historic rail building to a more permanent home.

Movers were set to transport the old Westboro ticket depot early this morning from a lot on Railroad Avenue down Route 10 to the proposed River Park development, potentially saving the building.

“I’m happy in that I know that the building’s going to get restored and it will be utilized,” Assistant Mayor Tim MacNamara, who negotiated the move, said in a phone interview.

City officials and members of the Lebanon Historical Society have been working to find a new home for the building after developer David Clem threatened to demolish it in July.

Clem recently sold 26 Railroad Ave. to Curt Jacques, who owns the neighboring West Lebanon Feed and Supply. As part of the sale, Clem was to move the ticket office, which he had stored on the site.

However, that proved to be an expensive proposition.

In a July email to the historical society, Clem estimated the moving costs could come to more than $26,000. He also said he was angered when the city requested a $5,000 security bond to pay for any infrastructure damaged during the move.

So, he instead offered the building to the historical society and agreed to move it for free onto the nearby state-owned rail yard. City councilors also stepped in to negotiate the move with state officials.

While the New Hampshire Department of Transportation signed on to the move, the Claremont Concord Railroad, which leases the site, didn’t respond to the request, McNamara said.

That led city officials to begin negotiations with Clem and ultimately agree to withdraw the $5,000 bond request if the city is added onto his liability insurance.

“Thank God he’s taking it again and taking it up there,” city historian Ed Ashey said on Wednesday. “At least it got saved.”

Ashey said it likely would have cost the historical society thousands to maintain the building. Ownership also would have required the society to move it off the rail yard in a year due to agreements with the state, he said, requiring the society to purchase land and pay for additional moving costs.

Jacques, the owner of West Lebanon Feed and Supply, said he’s also happy with the outcome and that he appreciates the work of both McNamara and Clem in reaching the agreement.

“At the end of this, I think (a renovation) is something that Mr. Clem will be able to do a bit quicker,” Jacques said. “With his reputation, I’m sure he’ll do it right and the way it should be done.”

Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.