Southbury Historical Buildings

Challenge

• Old Town Hall Museum: Building of the first Town Hall began in 1873. The land cost $125.00,

and the projected building costs were not to exceed $1,375.00. At that time, the ladies of the South

Britain Congregational Church offered to pay $1,600.00 for a second floor to be used for church

activities. Southbury’s first Town Hall opened at this site in 1874. The Town’s government

operated on the first floor and social activities took place on the second floor. A “Select School”

began operation in 1888 for a few years at this site. By 1907, due to elementary school

overcrowding, students from 8th Grade through the first two years of high school also used the

second floor as their classroom. The building remained as the Southbury Town Hall until December

31, 1963 when it was replaced by a larger building, the present Town Hall Annex. The first Town

Hall was closed and gradually deteriorated until a group of concerned citizens raised money and

gave their time and talents in an effort to preserve it. It was a monumental task, and one that was

turned back to the Town of Southbury in 1979. It then became one of Southbury’s Historic

Properties in 1980 and became the responsibility of the appointed Southbury Historic Buildings

Commission. It has been preserved and maintained by the Commission for close to 30 years.

• South Britain Historical Library: The South Britain Library was built in 1904 by contractor A.

H. Wilson at a cost of $746.00. It served as the Town’s source of reading material until 1969 when

the Southbury Public Library was built on Main Street South. The Town’s Senior Center is now

housed in that building. Over a thousand books were transferred in 1969 from the South Britain

Library to the then new Public Library. A wide range of histories and reference material remained

in the South Britain Library. The library remained open a few years staffed by volunteers and then

closed. In 1983, the Town of Southbury accepted the library as one of the Town’s historic public

buildings. It has been preserved and maintained by the Historic Buildings Commission since that

time.

Solution

Solution for these buildings: Roof replacement (Cedar shake and asphalt), gutter demolition and

installation as well as installation of new electrical and HVAC systems.