Name of Old restaurant

[YCV 30]

Does anybody remember what the name of the old restaurant was that was in the old pink house where the new dunkin's is on union ave in laconia? It was about 20+ years ago. I think that star gaze spas was in there a while ago.

[jack1706]

Wasn't it Summerfields...?

I can remember eating in the old barn part & back porch.

[YCV 30]

That sounds close to what I thought. We were thinking that it started with a "S"

[CGI3]

Yes it was Summerfields. Damn good food too. It burned down many years ago, and unfortunatley they never relocated.

[Ironfish]

Yep, Summerfields. And prior to that, it was called Hathaway House.

[Argie's Wife]

Argie says it was Hathaway House in the 70's-80's. It was Summerfields... Here's an old thread about it:

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...read.php?t=983

And a recent article in The Citizen

http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll...0/-1/CITNEWS08

The Hathaway House, a historic structure in Lakeport, is up for sale or lease, a fact that throws into question the pledges made to the city by its current owner to maintain the building while new tenants or owners were sought.

A large sign advertising the availability of the Hathaway House is planted in front of the salmon-colored Victorian building on Union Avenue.

On Tuesday afternoon, Greg Nolan, who is an executive with Cafua Management, the North Andover, Mass.-based company that owns the Hathaway House and the newly built Dunkin' Donuts coffee shop immediately adjacent to it, said the house is being appraised. Nolan asked to be called back later but, when a return call was made at the pre-arranged time, he was not available and did not return a message seeking comment.

Pam Clark, who heads the city's Heritage Commission, said she was resigned to the fact that Cafua would sell the Hathaway House, adding that she had spoken recently with a former Lakes Region resident who told her she had heard about the Hathaway House being for sale and was interested in buying it and then investing up to the purchase price in rehabilitating and renovating the structure.

Meanwhile, Clark said she has not heard from Cafua for several months. She said the heritage commission in May identified the paint colors used on the original 1872 structure and then notified Cafua, which had agreed to repaint the building, but has not received a response. At the time, Assistant City Planner Seth Creighton told The Citizen that Nolan told him that Cafua, which owns the Hathaway House through its subsidiary, Laconia Real Estate LLC, told him that, once the paint match was made, the exterior would be painted.

Long-term, Creighton said, Nolan told him that the plan called for converting the Hathaway House into office space.

In approving the site plans for the new Dunkin' Donuts situated next door, the city got Nolan to agree to maintain the Hathaway House, also known as the Squire Clark House.

Samuel Clement Clark (1832-1897), according to local historian Warren Huse, "was an attorney at Lakeport for 40 years, clerk of court, member of the Legislature, director of the Laconia National Bank from the time of its organization and one of the original promoters and directors of the Laconia and Lakeport Horse Railroad."

The house changed owners several times and became first the Hathaway House, a women's clothing boutique owned by Richard St. Clair, and later a restaurant of the same name. It also has housed offices for real estate broker Florence Cummins and others. Another restaurant, named Summerfield's, occupied an attached barn which burned in 1991.

The fate of the Hathaway House aroused the interest of the Lakeport Community Association which wanted to preserve it.

Cafua, which bought the property on which the Dunkin' Donuts and Hathaway House both stand in 2003, had proposed razing the latter and replacing it with a two-story retail office building. The potential demise of the Hathaway House spurred the city to reactivate the heritage commission which, while it cannot prevent a property owner from demolishing a potentially historic building, can request an inventory, including photographs, before demolition occurs.

No demolition permits had been taken out for the Hathaway House, according to the planning department.

In February 2008, residents, including members of the LCA, crowded a planning board meeting and pleaded with the developers not to destroy the building. In response, Cafua offered the historic house to anyone who agreed to move it from its current site — a cost estimated by the city to be around $500,000.

There were, however, no takers and, subsequently, Cafua struck a "gentleman's agreement with the city," LCA President Wanda Tibbetts said Tuesday, under which, in exchange for sparing the house and agreeing to fix up the outside, the LCA and city would not oppose the development of the Dunkin' Donuts as it moved through the municipal planning process.

"I'm disappointed, " said Tibbetts. "I was in on that small group that met with him and he [Nolan] swore he would do anything if we cooperated with him."

City Manager Eileen Cabanel said Cafua agreed to paint the Hathaway House and then sell or lease it, explaining that the accommodation that the company made for the house is they would not demolish it while building the coffee store next door.

Tibbetts said she planned to keep working to save the Hathaway House and hopes that Cafua will live up to its agreement with the city. She believes utilities to the house have been shut off for quite some time, something that could hasten the deterioration of the interior which already was determined to be in need of a major overhaul.

For her part, Clark hopes someone will come forward to buy the Hathaway House and improve it. She added that Cafua "probably realized it was going to be too expensive to renovate," which is why the company put it up for sale.

[tis]

Do you think DD will honor my $50 gift certificate for Summerfields that I never got to use because it burned down first???

[Redwing]

The Hathaway House was owned by Richard St. Clair in the 1960s and 70s (maybe even the 1950s), and he also owned the Old Country Store in Moultonborough where I worked for several summers during my college years selling penny candy and cheese. Richard St. Clair's son is Charlie St. Clair, of Motorcycle week fame.

[KateT]

Did the Hathaway House sell nice clothing as the upstairs at the Country Store did at that time - early to mid-sixties? I worked at the OCS, too. One vivid memory of Mr. St. Claire was that on sunny days when things were slow at the candy counter, we were sent out back to soak Anne Page (A&P brand) labels off of jams and jellies and replace them with hand written OCS labels and up the price from $.39 to $.79. Tourists would buy a half dozen jars to give as gifts or keep as their winter stash. At the dinner table one evening, I questioned this practice and my dad told me to just do as I was told. Love the sixties!

[Redwing]

Yes....the OCS did sell mostly women's clothing on the second floor, and I actually worked there my 3rd summer, having gone through the ranks of the penny candy counter first summer, cheese counter 2nd summer, and clothing 3rd summer. I wonder if we knew each other, Kate T? My friend Diane and I spent a lot of time chatting with counselors from local boys camps, which did not please Mr. St. Clair.....we did more chatting than selling!

[Greene's Basin Girl]

Originally Posted by Redwing

Yes....the OCS did sell mostly women's clothing on the second floor, and I actually worked there my 3rd summer, having gone through the ranks of the penny candy counter first summer, cheese counter 2nd summer, and clothing 3rd summer. I wonder if we knew each other, Kate T? My friend Diane and I spent a lot of time chatting with counselors from local boys camps, which did not please Mr. St. Clair.....we did more chatting than selling!

Redwing- You and my sister Diane sure made the most of every summer during your earlier years. I certainly remember that the both of you always had great fun!

[Redwing]

And who could ever forget Camp Leweschni? I wonder if it is still in existence? Does anyone remember the Coffee Shop that was next to/part of the Old Country Store, which Dick Tower managed? After I had my fix of penny candy at the OCS every day, I would get my daily ice cream fix from the coffee shop. I think I ate most of Mr. St. Clair's profits.

[no-engine]

Summerfields was the restaurant in the barn attached in back.
At one time in the main building I think I remember there was a restaurant named Hathaway House. I remember the clothing displayed in the front windows, when no longer a restaurant.
At one more recent time, there was a florist, that used the main building and a quasi green house on foundation of the burned Summerfield's.
More memories: Curt & Joanne Chesley of Curt's Caterers both worked there. I'm sure their menus started evolving for the catering business.

There is so little land on the DD side, I wonder how buyer can utilize the building; for those who do not know, there is for sale sign in front.

[SAMIAM]

Hathaway house was also owned for several years by Mark Packard (white Diamond Inn) and Malcolm Knowles (formerly owned Kellers ice cream and restaurant)
They had the best veal oscar on the planet....used white asparagus.....yum

[librasun]

Does anyone remember a singer, name of Claire Bryan (I believe), from the late '70's? Folk singer, with guitar. She was pretty regular at the Hathaway House, and was quite good.

[RLW]

librasun, I just noticed that you are fairly new to posting on the forum and glad you have joined us. Have fun and enjoy the Winni Forum while making many new friends.

Thanks for posting and I'm sure you will get and answer as there are many older members (Meaning on the site a long time not in age)

[island folks]

I think Curt Chesley use to be a chef at the Hathaway House. It was spectacular back then and he's still around cooking great food only now his whole family (his wife, their 3 kids and their partners) are also working with him

[BroadHopper]

It is sad that greed, is more important than our lively hoods. Bad ingredients, beautiful locations and buildings destroyed. Hopefully people will see all of this and realize giving back to the community is more important than making money.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/...6CO/story.html

[MeredithMan]

It is sad that greed, is more important than our lively hoods. Bad ingredients, beautiful locations and buildings destroyed. Hopefully people will see all of this and realize giving back to the community is more important than making money.


Not sure what this has to do with the old Hathaway House. Also, sounds like these franchisees took a lot of risk, worked their butts off, and made a bundle of money. Good for them!

[neckdweller]

It took me halfway through the article to see the connection. Thanks for the link to the article broadhopper - I personally like to read stories about successful business people.

And in Laconia, New Hampshire, his plans to raze the historic Hathaway House, a stately but sagging structure built in 1872, set off a bitter fight that has raged for 14 years, even spurring the creation of the town’s Heritage Commission. Dorothy Duffy, a 79-year-old lifelong Laconia resident and a member of that commission, accuses officials with Cafua’s company of being “deceitful.” She says they reneged on earlier promises not to demolish the building and then let it fall into further disrepair, making its fate all but inevitable. “We call it planned deterioration,” she says.

Cafua rejects Duffy’s accusation with a roll of his eyes. At one point, he says, a different activist argued that the building couldn’t be torn down because a ghost believed to be living in it would have nowhere to go. The ghost will have to find alternate accommodations, though. The town finally granted him a demolition permit in August. (As of press time, the Hathaway House and the churches were still standing.)

[MeredithMan]

....Now I follow BH's thought process...

[BroadHopper]

The building is actually structurally sound despite 14 years of neglect. He tried to make it less attractive by removing all the windows and leaving it open.
The city tried to salvage the wonderful woodwork and fireplaces and a few other stuff, but Cafua management been stalling the process up to this day. Probably because he is upset with the boycotting of his store every weekend.
The building has an interesting history. It was originally built to be the Governor's Mansion, thus the elaborate architecture.

[WakeboardMom]

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

It is sad that greed, is more important than our lively hoods. Bad ingredients, beautiful locations and buildings destroyed. Hopefully people will see all of this and realize giving back to the community is more important than making money.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/...6CO/story.html

This thread discusses two businesses that weren't successful in this building. A gentleman would like to put a Dunkin' Donuts on that location. This business would employ people and put money into the community.

I personally don't patronize any Dunkin' Donuts anywhere; and I grieved for a family business that was on my street that is now a Dunkin' Donuts. However, I'm a realist. If Dunkin' Donuts can make money, give jobs to folks, donate to fundraisers, pay taxes to the town, etc. then God bless 'em.

I'm confused about the greed comments. These guys worked hard and became successful. How does that automatically translate as greed? The article is intended as a portrait of a corporation and the men who run it. From reading this article, it is impossible to know what their charitable contributions are.

[Major]

Originally Posted by WakeboardMom

This thread discusses two businesses that weren't successful in this building. A gentleman would like to put a Dunkin' Donuts on that location. This business would employ people and put money into the community.

I personally don't patronize any Dunkin' Donuts anywhere; and I grieved for a family business that was on my street that is now a Dunkin' Donuts. However, I'm a realist. If Dunkin' Donuts can make money, give jobs to folks, donate to fundraisers, pay taxes to the town, etc. then God bless 'em.

I'm confused about the greed comments. These guys worked hard and became successful. How does that automatically translate as greed? The article is intended as a portrait of a corporation and the men who run it. From reading this article, it is impossible to know what their charitable contributions are.

Great post Mom. Where were all the people who were concerned about the welfare of the Hathaway House prior to Cafua buying it? Even since Cafua bought it, someone could have stepped up to save the old gem. The bottom line is that the damage was done decades ago when the City of Laconia allowed commercial properties to be built on Route 3. The Hathaway House is clearly a residence, not a restaurant, not a vintage clothing shop, not a hot tub sales establishment. It is ill-suited for a commercial business, and is now surrounded by commercial businesses. The sad reality is that there is no financial value in saving it, only sentimental value. And as a taxpayer, I don't want to make the investment, at least not this one.

[BroadHopper]

Originally Posted by WakeboardMom

it is impossible to know what their charitable contributions are.

Basically Cafua do not contribute at all to the town. No sponsor of youth teams, not a member of LRCC, no donations to charitable events, etc.

The other DD on Main Street do contribute.

[MeredithMan]

First, the previous posters are correct in that the article mentions nothing about the guy's charitable giving, so how can a conclusion be drawn about what he does for the local area? Many people--especially very wealthy ones--donate money anonymously or via a trust. Even if it is true that he doesn't give any money to Laconia groups, that does not make him a greedy lout.

Charitable giving is a very personal decision. My son has been dealing with cancer for a number of years, and we choose to make all of our charitable donations to a couple groups that have helped him immensely. We give zero to civic groups in our town because they are not important to us.

And just to get back on the topic of the thread, I am all for the old HH being torn down and a new DD going in its place. It is an eyesore, especially in an area that relies on tourism.

MM

[BroadHopper]

Here are the plans submitted and approve by the planning board. Three cookie cutter units strip mall. Does not even go with the local architecture.

Get a load of the traffic pattern, I thought Diary Queen was crazy.