Rocky Hill Historical Society Headquarters - Rocky Hill, CT - Historical Society Headquarters on Waymarking.com

The 2½ story high Academy Hall was built of brick in 1803 in the Federal style designed by Abraham Jaggars. Originally the building was used as a private school. In 1839 a fire destroyed the inside. Thereafter it was restored as a public school with the upper level serving as a community center. It operated in this capacity until 1916. The building underwent deterioration until it was leased to the Rocky Hill Historical Society in 1963. They restored the building and converted it into a local history museum.

The building has a symmetrical design with a gable roof, which is characteristic of the Federal style. There are eight bays along he length and two bays along the width. The front has sets of steps leading up to entrances at the first and eight bays. The remaining six bay all have 3 by 4 pane double hung windows. The upper level has 10 matching windows. The gable ends have two matching windows at each level and a small fan window at the attic level.

An informational panel in front of the building describes the history of Academy Hall.

This mid-1800s photo is the earliest known picture of Academy Hall and the Congregational Church. Academy Hall is a Federal style building that was built in 1803 by Mr. Abraham Jagger and paid for by private subscription. The second story of the building had arched ceilings and large fireplaces on the south end in both stories. On the first floor, the building originally served as a schoolhouse for Rocky Hill children, while the second floor was a school for navigation. The school for navigation was needed to support the education of men who would become captains of ocean-going and coastal vessels, many of which were built in Rocky Hill at the time.

The building was destroyed by fire overnight on New Year’s Eve, 1839; only the walls were left standing. The lower story was rebuilt and refurbished, the second story was left unfinished. The Ecclesiastical Society of Rocky Hill obtained a lease in 1850 stipulating that they would refinish the upper story. The upper floor became a school in 1899. The building has served a wide variety of uses over the years. It has been a home to multiple churches, an armory, a library, an American Legion Hall, a meeting place for a variety of civic organizations, and a plane spotting tower that was used to defend against possible attacks during World War II. It also served as the Rocky Hill Town Hall for a while in the early part of the 20th century.

Academy Hall fell into disrepair by the early 1960s. The Rocky Hill Historical Society signed a lease with the town in 1963 which required the society to restore the building in three years’ time for use as a museum. Major renovation work was completed, mostly by volunteers. These renovations included pulling down the additions and masonry repairs, along with upgrades to the plumbing, heating, and electrical systems. The total cost of the renovation was $17,830. The grand reopening of the building as a museum was in 1967.

This photo (upper right), taken about 1907, is of one of the two schoolrooms in Academy Hall. It was located on the south side of the second floor and was for the younger children. A similar classroom for the older students was located on the north side. Academy Hall was used as a school for Rocky Hill children for over a century. It was eventually replaced by the new Center School, which was completed in 1917 on the site of the current Town Hall

Academy Hall was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Today, it Serves as a museum, and as the home of the Rocky Hill Historical Society. It contains exhibits explaining the history of Rocky Hill, as well as a research library containing local history and genealogy. There is also a collection of artifacts, manuscripts and photos that illustrate Rocky Hill history. Stop in and see us!