The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-02-16
The Special Town Meeting.

The adjourned special town meeting,
Tuesday afternoon, was good-humored
and harmonious gathering, and the out
come of the deliberations was such as
will be generally satisfactory. 1t is now
assured that Middlebury will before
many months have building that has
long been needed for town purposes and
Tor public entertainments. 1t Is doubt
full If any other solution of the question
would have pleased more of the citizens
than that reached.
George Hammond was moderator of
the meeting and Hon. l.. L. Knapp,
clerk.
Hon. l.. +. Knapp reported for the
committee appointed at the special meet
ing of January 30. The committee had
inspected eight sites, he said, but five
of these presented more or less objection
able features and there really remained
but three desirable locations. the two
parks and the Wood place. The speaker
emphasized the need of a town hall
both for the uses of the town and for
public gatherings. Academy hall is not
Il proper place to hold entertainments,
being not only hard to reach, but danger
GUS on account of the liability to panic
i'll case of ire. Col. Knapp counseled
moderation on the part of the advocates
of various plans, and expressed fear
that unless Il spirit of Cancellation were
manifested nothing would be done. He
mentioned the objections to locating IA
town hall upon either of the parks; but
the Wood place obvated the difficulties
met with elsewhere. In that locality
danger from fire. The only question
" hpt IA nnnlI off
The place as it stands could be bought
for $4,000 Two good building lots,
worth together $500 or 1000, could be
sold aud still leave ample room for the
hall. Then there is Il vast amount of
material in the house-brick and stone
worth at least 81 900; and the basement
room could be sold for 81 900 more; SO
that the site would cost only about
300. 1t was his opinion, and that OF
whole committee, that the site was the
best obtainable. Mr.. Knapp exhibited 8
plan for Il town hall which the committee
had had prepared. 1t is for one-story
building, with audience-room 80 by 45
feet and stage 20 by 20. The entrance
is through II vestibule and over this is
IL gallery. The front elevation is pleas
ing and structure in accordance
with this plan would be an ornament
to the village. Col. Knapp stated that
such building could be put up for
$4,000. The grand list of the town
| is $40, 900. A tax of ten cents on n dolla.,
therefore, for period of six years
would defray the cost. Tho income
from rents would also be considerable,
probably 800 year.
Frank A. Bond said the income from a
| good hall would easily be $500.
lam Nj do I'D L.
had made on the Wood place. Accord
building would cost $4,000. lie stated
other projects by which the town could
get hall at smaller cost but he thought
the Wood place by far the best. 1t was
questionable if the town could locate a
hall upon the parks; and. il they could.
it was very doubtful whether they wished
to do so. He moved the appointment
of committee to purchase the Wood
place, take such further steps as they
think fit toward building hall and re-
port at the annual March meeting.
Hon. l.. ID. Eldredge said some steps
should be taken toward Immediately be-
ginning work. 1t is time the citizens Of Mid
dlebury took this public matter in hand
and pushed it to a conclusion. lie moved,
as an amendment to Mr.. SHADES motion,
that the chair appoint nominating COM
mittee who should propose a building
committee of five, which shall erect upon
the Wood place a town hall-the whole
not to cost over $4,000. Mr. Slade ac-
cepted this amendment.
G. NJ. Wilds proposed still another
amendment, which was accepted by the
original mover and by Mr.. Eldredge,
tina, 1.-THE committee appointed two weeks
ago to report at this present meeting be
authorized to purchase the Wood place,
so-called, at an expense not exceeding
$4,000, pledging the credit Of the town