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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