MILFORD – For more than 200 years, it was the stately home of prominent Milford residents. Later, it was converted to a restaurant-tavern and, most recently, it served as a Montessori school.

Now an Amherst resident has a new plan for the historic Col. Shepard House. Cynthia Dokmo told the Milford Planning Board last week she wants to turn it into an event center and tavern.

“The house was owned by the Fletchers, the Lordens, and the McLanes, and they spent their money fixing this house up,” she said. Dokmo is part of Turtle Creek Properties, and she was before the board for an informal discussion about plans for the house, at 29 Mont Vernon St.

Built in 1757, the building was a single-family home until the late 1980s when it became a restaurant and tavern called the Col. Shepard House. For the last 20 years it was a school

“My hope is to give it a change of use,” Dokmo said, but keep it looking exactly as it is. So far, asbestos has been removed and the roof replaced, she said, and ultimately she would like to turn the barn into a large event center.

The five upstairs bedrooms would become four offices and the four downstairs rooms would be designed to accommodate small functions.

“I think there is a need in this community,” she said, “and it’s beautiful inside.” She suggested board members look at the Pickering House in Wolfboro, which was restored as an inn after being targeted for commercial development. It has a similar barn and the “barn is absolutely gorgeous. It would be such a magnet for this town,” she said.

Board member Paul Amato asked about the possibility of a bed and breakfast, but Dokmo said the need for an elevator and other disability accommodations means that’s not feasible.

Dokmo, who has been a state representative and served on the Amherst Planning Board for many years, said she expects some of the neighbors to the property to come to the meeting next month for the formal site plan review.

John McLane was the New Hampshire governor from 1905 to 1907 and the grandfather of Patty Rotch, whose family owned The Cabinet for many years, and great-grandfather of Congresswoman Ann McLane Kuster (NH-02).

Kathy Cleveland can be reached at 673-3100 or kcleveland@cabinet.com.