The Stamford Historical Society
PHOTO ARCHIVIST’S SELECTION OF THE MONTH: February 2003
The Old Town Hall II
the one that's still standing
After the town hall fire of 1904, "the architects Edgar Josselyn and Nathan Mellen were called on to design a town hall for the new era. In Beaux Arts style, the new building, now universally known and loved as 'the Old Town Hall,' was placed diagonally on the site of the traditional center of the community. Limestone-faced and topped with a massive clock tower, the two-and-a-half story structure provided space for the mayor, a growing list of city officials and a mountain of records. At one point its basement even served as the local jailhouse". So write Estelle Feinstein and Renee Kahn in their dedication booklet for the new Government Center.
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| Prospective site of the New City Hall, 1904. | Proposed design for the New Municipal Building, 1904. |
Laying corner-stone of the New Municipal Building, September 27, 1905
 A postcard was also issued |
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| Around 1909. The Congregational Church is still there. The street railroad was discontinued in 1933. |
Around 1946. The church has been replaced by the Citizens Savings Bank. |
The tall building next to the town hall was erected at the same time
and housed the Stamford National Bank.
The Stamford Savings
Bank building, "The Little Red Bank," is next to it.
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| In the 1930s. The trolley tracks are covered over, but no repaving has been done. Larger view. | |
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| In the background: Citizens Savings Bank. | |
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1940s. The photo says 1960s, but after a doubt was raised because of the type of cars in the image, I checked around and got this response from a friend: "Forty's. The front left looks like a 47 Chevy Stylemaster I had as a kid. The Squareback in front looks like a Plymouth to me. It's tough to date rigs like that. From 42 to 48 the body style remained the same on Ford and Chevy, as far as I know. Factory production had other requirements at the time." Another wrote: "Compare the sizes of the tree." |
1995
aerial view |
A change: The bus shelter is gone. The date stamp on the postcard is of 1965. |
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The Town Hall in 1988 Renovations and new clock tower in 1976 Mural Depicts Purchase of Stamford |
After
WWII, the building could not meet the increasing demands for municipal
services and offices.
The first attempt at a solution was the purchase
of the five-story HELCO office building at the lower end of Atlantic Street.
The offices of the Mayor and board of representatives and other boards
were moved into the new "City Hall" or "Municipal Office
Building," constructed originally in 1927. The Town Clerk, the Judge
of Probate and the Registrars of Voters remained in the "Old Town
Hall," while other officials were located in other buildings on and
off Atlantic Street.
In
1986, "the hydra-headed problem was solved at one stroke
by the purchase of the sleek aluminum, glass, and
steel office building, constructed but not tenanted by GTE, on the corner of
Tresser and Washington Boulevards."
Here is an architectural rendering of "One Telecom Place."
Meanwhile, the Old Town Hall still sits where it was, and over the years, various uses have been discussed, but no solution has been found as of this writing.
© Stamford Historical Society
| Month | Title |
|---|---|
| January 2003 | The Wardwell Homes on Elm Street |
| February 2003 | The Old Town Hall II |
| March 2003 | The Portable Typewriter and its Uses, 1913 |
| June 2003 | Wardwell Family Photos |
| Month | Title |
|---|---|
| May 2007 | The League of Women Voters and Harold I June, June 26, 1930 |
| June 2007 | Brownstones on Bell Street |
| July 2007 | The Nature Studies and Recreations of a Business Man |
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