Church Landing

The doors to Church Landing, the fourth and final of the Inns at Mill Falls, opened yesterday when Rusty McLear, president of Hampshire Hospitality Holdings, cut a red, white and blue ribbon held by Gov. Craig Benson to cheers from a throng of proud employees, construction workers, public officials and well-wishing friends.

Set on a small promontory jutting into Meredith Bay, Church Landing offers expansive views of Lake Winnipesaukee from one of the most prized spots on the waterfront. The inn incorporates St. Charles Church, left behind when the parish moved to new premises in 2003. Built in the shingled camp style of the 1880s, Church Landing offers 58 guest rooms and suites, all with fireplaces and balconies overlooking the lake, as well as a conference center, restaurant, pool and spa.

With McLear's other projects — the Inn at Mill Falls, Mill Falls Marketplace, the Inn at Bay Point, the Chase House at Mills Falls and even the renovation of "Rosie's" Irving station — Church Landing marks the wholesale transformation of downtown, from a rundown mill-yard to a lakeside resort.

Laurie Klefos, Director of Travel and Tourism at the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development (DRED), stressed that success to in the highly competitive tourist market required not only "promotion but quality product development," adding that the Inns at Mill Falls were among the very finest destinations in the Northeast.

Carol Murray, the commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (DOT), stressed that when the DOT proposed roadworks that threatened the character of the village, McLear brokered a plan to ease traffic congestion while maintaining the integrity and charm of downtown.

Benson joined the celebration by reading a proclamation, which stressed that "the Inns at Mill Falls has contributed greatly to Meredith by supporting civic and charitable causes, creating hundreds of quality jobs, and creating substantial tax revenue for the town."

In return, McLear lauded Meredith as "a heck of a town to work with, where public -private partnerships are second to none."