Community Center

Elmer's is once again a warm and welcoming gathering place! 

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Inspired by a trend of community owned pub conversions in rural villages in the United Kingdom, a group of Ashfield residents formed a steering committee in September 2022 and began work to restore the building as a critical third place* for our town. 

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Our original steering committee members brought a range of expertise and contributions to this project, including nonprofit management, restaurant cooking and management, small business ownership, event production and community organizing.

 

The original Steering Committee members are pictured below (left to right):

Dave Russo, Elizabeth Gray, Delta Carney, April West, Ariel Brooks, Matthew Glassman, Kath McCusker, Rob Lizotte.

(Not pictured, but very much involved, former Elmer's owner Nan Parati and Derek Matias!) 

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Many of the original steering committee members became formal board members when we incorporated as as a 501c3 nonprofit organization - the Elmer's Community Center - which works to sustain the building (including first-floor commercial / public space and two upstairs apartments) and to host community events and gatherings. (See the list of board members on our Community page!) The board has overcome a lot of barriers, including the building going to foreclosure auction and creating a very accelerated timeline, restoring the building to code when it had lost it's certificate of occupancy under the previous owner, and creatively achieving a LOT of renovations with bake sale revenue and community labor. Starting in 2023, we were so grateful to welcome people back into the building for events like Friday Cafes, tween rock concerts, art openings and (of course) Fall Festival!

 

Beginning in 2024, we will realize our dream of bringing a cafe back to Elmer's. Wicked Good Cafe is an incredible partner, working with the Community Center board in a creative space-sharing partnership that will help the restaurant succeed by keeping their overhead low and allow us to continue utilizing the building for community events on days/hours when the restaurant is closed! 

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Having overcome many significant barriers, we're so excited about the potential for this model as a sustainable strategy for keeping third places open in rural communities! 

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*"Your third place is where you relax in public, where you encounter familiar faces and make new acquaintances." - Oldenburg, The Great Good Place