Buyers of the former Wilton Station on Main Street are unsure of building’s future.

In February, Aaron Kelly and his fiance Kendal J. Bush of Francestown became the newest owners of the building at 99 Main St. The station was abandoned for close to two years before Bush and Kelly took over.

One side of the building was converted into office space for their company 360Monadnock, a digital marketing agency they started in their basement in 2021. The newly renovated space features a podcast studio lined with antiques, professional lighting and mic stands to enhance and preserve the natural history of the building. The space has recorded numerous podcasts including the owners’ podcast, “New England Alive,” a talk show that highlights small-business owners in the region. Davis Construction of Peterborough led the remodeling process to bring the creative space alive.

Kelly said the business has really taken off since the new office opened.

“The growth of the business in year two is astounding,” said Kelly.

In June of 2021, Bush herself purchased part of the station with hopes to bring a new pub to Wilton. In February, Bush and Kelly purchased the rest of the property, dedicating one side to be their office space, and the other to be a potential gathering place for the community. However, Kelly said he is still refining the details.

“We have a multitude of ideas, but it’s about what the community wants,” said Kelly. 

Due to supply issues with building materials, Kelly and Bush are concerned about the rising costs to renovate the train station. Kelly said future development boils down to three things: the availability of contractors, the relationship with bank investors and the availability of building materials.

“It’s super-expensive right now,” said Kelly. “We have a lot of plans for the train station, but contractors are backed up for a couple years.”

Along with the rising costs and building material supply issues, Kelly also said the pandemic greatly slowed the development of the new space.

“We would love to do something with the train station, but it’s sitting empty and it’s disappointing,” said Kelly.

Despite complications in the station’s development process, Bush said she isn’t giving up hope on her dream to have a place where all members of the community can relax, have a drink and enjoy each other’s company.

“I want to be a part of the next generation of business owners on Main Street,” said Bush.

Wilton Economic Development Leadership Team Chair Jennifer Beck said that despite pandemic complications, businesses in Wilton, including 360Monadnock, had the opportunity to flourish, and they took it.

“We literally filled Main Street during a pandemic,” said Beck. “That’s a testament to the entrepreneurs that saw their future here and wanted their business located in a walkable downtown in a small rural village. The downtown has a hip vibe nurtured by a very eclectic collection of citizens.”

For Bush and Kelly, their potential plans to bring food, drinks and entertainment to Wilton may be what the community is looking for.

“The economic development team’s vision, developed over the years with lots of input from townspeople is to create three types of experiences: the downtown experience, the nature experience and the live, work and stay experience,” said Beck.

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