I got a call a couple of months ago ... during the dead of winter! --I heard a cheerful voice on the line: "Hello Joan" I read your blog on ACTIVE RAIN and I really liked your profile."
"My husband and I are looking for a buyer's agent. We want to move away from the big city life so we can raise our young twins in an environment surrounded by nature. We have family near New Hampshire and we are thinking about the Jaffery, Peterborough, Rindge, Fitzwilliam and Troy areas."
I was elated that someone had read one of my blogs! I quickly explained that I covered Jaffrey and Peterborough, but the other areas were a bit too far! I offered to refer her to a colleague but she wasn't interested.
I was hesitant .... it was so far away ... BUT THEY FOUND ME ON ACTIVE RAIN ... and then I thought "this couple has been sent from the ACTIVE RAIN GODS... there must be a reason ... So I said "OKAY"!
The couple found some homes they wanted to see in Fitzwilliam and Troy - so I headed out to preview them with my new GPS... The house in Fitzwilliam did not fit their criteria so I headed to Troy.
What followed was truly an inspiration and something I would not have experienced if I had said NO ... the Rebirth of a the Town of Troy.
Troy is located in Cheshire County which is part of the "Monadnock Mountain Region"
When I arrived in Troy my first stop was the town hall. A kind lady in the clerk's office was exuberant and explained that Troy was on the verge of Renaissance. 
The historic Troy Mill was undergoing redevelopment and new businesses were moving into the historic town center.
She explained that Troy was settled in 1762 and was named after Troy, New York. The Center of Troy is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
During the 18th and 19th centuries the Troy Mill was a vibrant fabric mill which was known for manufacturing a "fitted horse blanket". As other forms of transportation came into being, the mill converted to making automobile insulation and clothing. Due to the changing in the market place, the mill closed its doors permanently in 2001.
The EPA and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental services discovered some contamination on the old Mill site and the Mill sat vacant until an initial brownfield assistance grant was made available.
The Mill, is situated on 19 acres and today is 
in the process of being converted to a $40 million dollar development project which will provide approximately 150 new homes and other services for active adults. This redevelopment is possible because the state of New Hampshire offers a Revolving Loan Fund offering lower interest rates to private investors so they can redevelop previously contaminated sites.
It received the best community redevelopment award in 2006 at the Brownfield's Conference.
It's spring - and an historic GEM is reborn.
If you are looking for an inspirational get away this summer, visit the Monadnock Mountain Region and the town of Troy.
Oh, by the way, my clients found a beautiful home with a view of Mount Monadnock!
THANK YOU ACTIVE RAIN
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(c) 2008 all rights reserved JOAN WHITEBOOK
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