November 13, 2020
Town Hall

This week's Musings from Main is inspired by an article Anna Fiori wrote for the South Windsor Historical Society's Newsletter.

The images used and more facts about the old town hall are available from our
online archival database.

Almost 70 years after incorporating the Town of South Windsor still had no central meeting place. Town meetings were held in churches and Probate Judge Ralph M. Grant held court sessions in his living room. In 1912 it was decided that a town hall should be built  opposite the post office on Main Street, then contained in Bossen's Store located at 819 Main Street. At that time Main Street was considered the center of town. Pictured above is the front of the building.

The town hall, built about 1914 and was constructed for $12,000. The construction of the town hall was not without controversy. It seems there had been a "contest" associated with the building and Hartford architect, A. Raymond Ellis, wrote to the building committee complaining that he had won the contest and should be compensated if they decided to select Mr. Hayden or another architect. The image above shows a side view of the town hall.

The town hall served not only as a government building but was used for other activities as well, such as dance lessons and training programs during World War II. The image above, circa 1950, shows children sitting on a cement railing near the entrance to the building. After the war, a large plague was placed in front of the town hall building listing the names of South Windsor citizens who had served in World War II.

An image of the South Windsor Honor Roll of servicemen is shown above. This plaque disappeared after the demolition of the Main Street town hall building.

As the town grew to the east and its center shifted, a new town hall was built in the Wapping section of town. The images to the right and left show the Main Street town hall building as it was being demolished in 1969. Pictured below is what many of us recognize as town hall, located on Sullivan Avenue.

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