WHS - Town Hall - Normal School - Part 3
by Pete Zizka
10-16-2021
At a February, 1895 meeting at the State Capitol, High School Committee member Frank Larrabee spoke on behalf of Windham and “exhibited a plan of the grounds showing the relative position of the proposed high school building and the present Normal School building”. Interestingly, Larrabee mentioned that the site was, ”far removed from the center of the city, as far as population”. Four prominent Willimantic citizens, Doctor Morton Hills, attorney Elliot Sumner, ex-judge John Hall and curiously enough, high school committee member Jerome Baldwin opposed the resolution because they too felt that the site was too far from the center of town. (Remember, the town citizens had already voted, almost unanimously, to accept that site.) The main reasons for the preference of the site were that it would cost nothing and that the city was growing towards that vicinity. The opponents, meanwhile, said that the vote, “was taken without proper consideration and discussion”. Other opposition objections were thoroughly mixed in with various points regarding the town building and  other town expenditures. The arguments, pro and con, were lengthy to say the least. Then, in March, 1895, James Hayden entered the fray (we’ll read more about him in the Town Building part of story). In a letter to the selectmen Hayden said, “ I will give to the town a desirable site on the south side of the river upon condition that it will build a creditable high school building thereon”. However, although some felt that it was an ideal spot, it was noted that a school on “the south side” would, “involve a large expenditure for a footbridge” (to go over the river and railroad tracks). But in May, the State’s General Assembly passed the bill that ceded part of the Normal School lot back to the town. Then, not much happened until late December when bids for construction of the school were opened and rejected since all the bids were higher than the $30,000 that had been appropriated. The committee then worked with Architect Beardsley to pare down the plans a little and in March, 1896, the contract to build a high school was awarded to Jeremiah O. Sullivan. On April 2, 1897 the new high school was dedicated and opened. During the ceremonies, High School Committeeman Thomas Kelley formally presented the building to the town. It was accepted by George Meloney on behalf of all the selectmen. Classes at the school began three days later. Now we’ll backtrack a bit. (Today, what is known as the “Town Hall” was usually called the “Town Building” although it was sometimes called the “Memorial Building”. To keep things simple and true to the time frame, it will be called the Town Building” in this article.) In 1888, a special committee had been formed to look into a site for and erection of a “town building”. In April, 1892, they presented the first list of possible sites for the building. The first lot mentioned (which later became the actual site)) was the Chase lot on the northwest corner of Main and High Streets. Also presented as possibilities were the Witter lot (today’s site of the Willimantic Brewing Company), the Brayman lot (on Bank Street between Valley and Meadow Streets), the Cunningham lot on the northwest corner of Walnut and Main Streets and a lot on Union Street. It was felt at that time that the Cunningham lot was the most favorable choice, “as it is on the highest point of ground and centrally located”. (Note: old photos show that the ground level between High and Walnut Streets was more elevated than it is today.) At the town meeting in May, the committee recommended but did not give preference to three sites. They were the Cunningham lot, the Hanover lot which was on Union Street from Temple to Center Street and the Card-Turner lot next to the Opera House. From the day of that meeting until late December, 1894, however, little was done in regard to a future town building. By then, people began to realize that, “a city such as ours should have a town hall, a superior court room, offices for town officials, the selectmen, the judge of probate, assessors…city clerk and treasurer, adequate room for the public library…a police headquarters and a lockup worthy of its name”. Today’s unique photo showing the Prospect Street façade of the High School was one of about 125 slides of buildings, businesses, streets and dwellings taken by the Reverend Louis Flocken in 1912 and has been colorized. Note the words “High School” above the entrance.  
                   

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