TEMPLE – For the past three years, Andrew Cook and Nick Finnis have pumped all their time and money into restoring the 230-year-old Birchwood Inn, but all their efforts may have been in vain if Cook can't get back into the country.

He was recently denied a visa.

Finnis and Cook left England three years ago to start what Finnis calls a "new adventure" in America. After visiting New England to attend a wedding four years ago, the partners decided to look for a business opportunity in the region.

"We had traveled all over New England looking for the perfect spot, and we found Temple," Finnis said.

Finnis said Temple, with its population of 1,400, its town green and general store, embodied the heart that the villages in the south of England had before progress moved in.

"It's very typical of the English village of days gone by," Finnis said. "It's 30 years behind the rest of the world, and that was a breath of fresh air."

The pair bought the Birchwood Inn, which has been in Temple since 1775 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. After securing two-year E-2 visas, they moved to America and began working on the inn, investing nearly $250,000 to restore everything from the foundation to the septic system. They added a small tavern onto the restaurant and jacked up the living area 18 inches to restore the rotted sill.

"Most of the structural issues have been dealt with," Finnis said, "but we've still got cosmetic work to do, and we're nowhere near finished."

Finnis and Cook kept a close eye on their immigration status and last year applied to renew their visas and were accepted. However, because they didn't return to England for the renewal, they were banned from traveling back and forth between their old home and their new one.

"Andrew and I both have elderly parents, so we wanted to be able to visit them," Finnis said.

So Andrew returned to England to secure a new visa, but after waiting for six hours outside the American Embassy to attend a 10-minute interview, his visa was denied.

The reason for the denial, according to the State Department, was that Cook's investment in the business wasn't "more than a marginal one solely for earning a living."

As a result, Cook can't return to America to tend to the business he invested his life savings in, Finnis said.

In a letter explaining the exchange with the immigration officer, Cook said he asked the officer what his options were. The officer said Finnis would have to run the business alone and build it up until it was acceptably profitable or would have to sell it.

"To expect the business to be run by one person is not realistic," said Cook.

Finnis added that most businesses don't see profits within the first three to five years, if at all. Expecting a one-man operation to suddenly make enough money to please the U.S. government is unlikely, Finnis said.

"We've been putting everything we've made back into this business," Finnis said, "and now they seem to have pulled the rug out from under us."

Finnis and Cook have appealed to Sens. Judd Gregg and John Sununu for help, and the community of Temple has thrown its support behind the pair.

A letter to the senators from the Temple Board of Selectmen urging them to assist Cook explained how important the work of Cook and Finnis has been to the town.

"We respectfully submit that Mr. Cook's investment is very important to the well-being of the town of Temple," the board wrote. "The Birchwood Inn and London Tavern, as well as Mr. Cook and his business partners, are an integral part of our small community and valuable asset to the town of Temple." A petition in support of Cook and Finnis is also circulating, and more than 80 residents have stopped by the general store to sign it.

"It's unusual that new people would come into a small town and so quickly become accepted," said Brigitta Karl, a 40-year resident of Temple. "Nick and Andrew are an integral part of our community."

"They've tried to do things the right way," said Debra Harding, who's been in town for nearly 30 years. "They have respect for the history of this building and for the town. The Birchwood Inn has become a real focal point for our community."

But despite the community's support, Cook and Finnis are still facing an uncertain future.

"If we can't get Andrew back here," Finnis said, "I don't know what's going to happen."