House of Books in Kent, Conn., has reopened in a temporary location under new ownership, the New Milford Spectrum reported.
Robin Dill, who purchased the store in 2013 and put it up for sale earlier this year, sold House of Books to Kent Center, LLC on June 21. At present the store is open for business as the Little House of Books, temporarily located in a space one door down from its permanent home at 10 North Main St while the latter building undergoes extensive renovations.
Once renovations have been finished, the building will have a new roof, restored windows, a stabilized foundation and completely new wiring. There will also be an upstairs gallery space and customers will be able to move directly from the bookstore into an artisan cheese market located next door. Renovations are expected to take a year.
House of Books is located in Kent Barns, a retail complex "comprised of antique barns, restored buildings and new construction." There are art and antique galleries, restaurants and a variety of retailers.
Kent Center LLC also owns Kent Barns, and Hiram Williams, the LLC's managing partner, told the Spectrum that they purchased the store to ensure that it remains open and "because supporting a thriving, serious independent bookstore in Kent has always been our objective."
Peter Vaughn, meanwhile, is managing the store, and he reported that Little House of Books "had a great first day."