THETFORD CENTER — The Thetford Village Store — once a community staple that has been in a state of disrepair for years — is to become a general store once more, with the addition of a cafe, porch and indoor seating area.
The nonprofit Thetford Community Center Trust, or TCCT, was established for the purpose of bringing back the shuttered store, which has sat in the heart of the village on Route 113 since the 1890s. The nonprofit is partnering with Crossmolina Farm in Corinth to operate the new venture, which is expected to launch in a couple of years.
Historic photos show the building has changed significantly over the years, but the TCCT wants to bring back elements of its original design. While there is not much to preserve due to significant deterioration, many original architectural details will be incorporated into the new design.
“We want this building to look like what has been there for over a century,” TCCT member Tim Briglin said by phone earlier this month.
In late January, the TCCT closed on the deal to purchase the building from St. Johnsbury, Vt., resident John Sayarath, who purchased it in 2024 with the intention of keeping the classic atmosphere alive despite two closures during the pandemic.
Sayarath had a similar vision to the TCCT. He recognized the store as a hub for groceries, local news and conversation. He wanted to create a place for local artists and authors to share their work too. However, the state of the building was extremely poor, making the project too big for a single person to take on.
“I couldn’t get the dream that I had to come through, so I decided to put it on the market,” said Sayarath.
Sayarath sold to the TCCT for $130,000 last week. Despite owning the building, the organization plans to lease it to a store manager, farmer Margaret Loftus, who will be in charge of day-to-day operations once the building is back on its feet.
With the building being extremely run down, the TCCT wants to take ownership of it off the storekeeper, so they can focus on a forward-facing role with customers, Briglin said. The store will have a commercial kitchen for meal preparation. In addition, the nonprofit wants to create a wrap-around porch, he said.
The group has raised over $200,000 in private donations and a grant from the Windham Foundation, which provides funds for Vermont communities investing in agriculture and culture.
Every system in the 1,800-square-foot building is failing, Briglin said, including the roof, flooring, heating, foundation, siding and thermal envelope, alongside environmental issues. Renovations are anticipated for later this year, and the project as a whole will cost at least $1 million, said Briglin.
Loftus, who owns Corinth’s Crossmolina farm with her husband, Jonathan Durham, noticed a “For Sale” sign outside the village store years ago and considered purchasing it. However, the building was in too poor condition, she said.
Now, she has the opportunity to be part of the store’s revival as a gathering place.
“We are hoping to create a homey and welcoming place where people want to spend time and feel comfortable when they walk in the door,” said Loftus.
Loftus grew up in Scottsville, N.Y., and appreciates the value of a neighborhood general store, she said. She and her family already run the Crossmolina Cookeville Market, located at 1776 Center Road in Corinth. That market offers farm-fresh meals and ingredients for visitors, and she wants the Thetford market to serve a similar purpose.
“She very much has a community-oriented vision that this is going to be a place where people can gather, eat nourishing food, catch up on the news,” Briglin said of Loftus.
The intention behind the plan for the store is to curate a third space for people in Thetford, somewhere they can spend time together and socialize besides work or home. Cafe and porch seating will be available.
Breakfast and lunch options will be made almost entirely with Crossmolina ingredients. There will be sandwiches, salads, soups, wraps and more. Takeout meals such as shepherd’s pie will also be available.
“All the meat on the sandwiches is raised on the farm as well as the lettuce and the tomatoes and the onions and all that,” said Loftus.
The grocery items, such as eggs and vegetables, will also be from the farm. Other products, such as rice and pasta, will be sourced in limited amounts from area distributors and some from across the state to help make complete meals, said Loftus.
Loftus will have some involvement in the building design to meet needs and make the interior appearance ideal for customers.
The Cookville Market will remain open. The farm crew will be involved in the new store, either on the cultivating end, helping to create meals or both. In the height of the season, Crossmolina Farm has five employees outside of the Loftus family. Loftus will encourage them to get involved with the new store to try out different roles in the process.
“Even though someone might be involved more in the raising of the animals than the cooking, we still want them to have that opportunity,” said Loftus.
Loftus’ three children, who range in age from 18 to 24, contribute to the farm as well when they can. Loftus’ son, Keelan Durham, 24, said he hopes community members would spend their dollars when they can to support the local agriculture economy, from farm to store.
“Having the ability to grow those products locally is important and worth putting your money toward,” said Durham.
The current septic field for the building does not support the addition of a cafe. As a result, TCCT is going to upgrade the public system, which will also offer improved support to other community buildings nearby, including town hall.
“In the next couple of months, we will be working with a septic engineer and the town to design the most cost-effective expansion of the septic system,” Briglin said Monday by email.
This project will not cost the town a dime, Thetford Selectboard member Steven Tofel said by phone. He added that this is a potentially five-figure project that the TCCT requested to take on, but further details regarding funding and the exact timeline are unclear.
Tofel said the project was based in “civic-minded altruism,” considering the time, funds and energy being put in to the community. Without the TCCT, the building would have continued to deteriorate.
“Everybody wants it. But you need someone to actually get it done and these people are getting it done. I think everybody owes them a debt of gratitude because this would not have happened without them,” said Tofel.
Ideally, the building will be ready for Loftus and her crew in 2028, though the project is still in its early stages, said Briglin.