BATH

The Winnegance General Store is back.

There isn’t a tenant yet, so visitors shouldn’t come prepared for a cup of coffee and a checkers game at this point, but the public is invited to an open house to see the changes made to the store from 3-6 p.m. today, June 13, and Saturday, June 14.

The Winnegance General Store, located at the end of High Street in Bath, had been on the most endangered historical properties list in 2013, when the owner finally decided to sell it. Jennifer Greene purchased the property with the intent to restore it to its 1902 glory.

Overall, public support for this project appears to have been strong.

There are still local oldtimers who remember going over to Winnegance to chew the fat with friends, play checkers, buy bait and drink coffee. In more recent years, it was a good place to stop to get a sandwich and drinks to take down to the beach, or out on the boat.

The store fell into grave condition over the years and needed a new foundation, which involved moving the store, a few inches at a time, to the field next to the building while the new foundation was poured. The original large double-hung windows were removed and were restored by a local window restoration firm, Jung Restoration.

The new foundation was laid about nine feet back from the historic position of the building, enough space to make it in compliance with city ordinances, and enough space to put on a covered front porch, where Greene envisions cafe customers sitting and watching the wildlife flying over the river or paddling in the cove.

So far, there is no café tenant, but the building has now been restored.

ghamilton@timesrecord.com