Windham, CT - City and Town Halls on Waymarking.com

Willimantic grew rapidly after the Civil War. Early on, the town, which served as county seat, was more concerned with fulfilling the county’s basic needs than with building a town hall, according to the Willimantic Chronicle. When Willimantic became a city in 1893, however, desire to construct a building in the city that could serve as a courthouse for Windham County and a town hall grew. A building committee was formed, and several members visited the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago (1893-1894), where they drew inspiration from that city’s advanced architectural styles. Bridgeport native Warren Richard Briggs designed the Connecticut Building at the Chicago fair, and his proposal for Windham’s courthouse was chosen from among nine designs submitted. Briggs infused his design with colonial, classical, and renaissance features. Windham Courthouse and Town Hall, Windham – Jerry Dougherty In April 1895, the United States experienced a major economic depression, which severely affected Willimantic. In that climate, many opposed the construction of a new town hall and combined courthouse. Despite the controversy, Briggs and Irish contractor Jeremiah O’Sullivan moved forward with the project, and construction began on June 12. They fabricated the first story with sandstone from Portland, Connecticut, and granite from Munson, Massachusetts. Inside the building were offices, a police station, police courts, a superior court, a Grand Army of the Republic (Civil War veterans association) hall, and a library. The total cost was $73,000. On September 16, 1896, the courthouse was complete, and at 6 pm, the tower’s clock dial was illuminated for the first time—by electric light! Today, the building serves as Windham’s town hall, and it stands as a prominent historic landmark.

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Name: Windham Court House Address: 979 Main Street Willimantic, CT Date of Construction: 1896 Architect: Warren Richard Briggs Web Site for City/Town/Municipality: [Web Link] Memorials/Commemorations/Dedications: Not listed

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