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Enfield Old Town Hall LbNA #12310 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Nov 21, 2004
Location:
City:Enfield
County:Hartford
State:Connecticut
Boxes:1
Planted by:Tom & Suz
Found by: Fish or Man
Last found:Aug 10, 2007
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFaaFFa
Last edited:Nov 21, 2004
August 2006 - This box is reported missing. So disappointed that someone would steal a letterbox from a church!!!

Very easy

The Old Town Hall has been a part of Enfield history for over 200 years. Opened on January 1, 1775, the Old Town Hall began its service to the community as the third meetinghouse of the First Ecclesiastical Society. A year later, Enfield's Minutemen were attending services in the building when Captain Thomas Abbey used his famous drum to announce the outbreak of war at Concord and Lexington. By 1848 overcrowding led to plans to abandon the building. Fortunately, a local businessman, Orrin Thompson, provided funds to save the building and convert it into a town hall. The building was greatly modified at this time; the steeple was removed, a front portico was added, and the balcony was converted into a second floor. In the years that followed, the Old Town Hall was the site of many political rallies, elections, town meetings, and social events. In 1892 a new town hall was opened and the Old Town Hall began to suffer from neglect. Many lean years passed before the Enfield Town Hall Community Association came to the aid of the Old Town Hall in 1923. Through the efforts of that civic group and the Penelope Terry Abbey Chapter of the D.A.R. the building was renovated and opened as a community house. For three decades the Old Town Hall was alive with club meetings, movies, dances, and parties of all kinds. However, during this period maintenance was poor and the building fell into serious disrepair. In 1964 the building was condemned. The end was very near.
Several years of marginally successful attempts to save the building served only to delay demolition. Finally, in 1972, the Enfield Historical Society was able to begin complete restoration of the Old Town Hall. In 1974 the Old Town Hall was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Eight years of hard work and meticulous attention to detail went into the restoration effort. On September 27, 1980, the building was opened for public inspection. The following year the Old Town Hall Museum opened for regular business.
Directions: I-91 North to exit 46. Take a right at the end of the exit onto Route 5 (Enfield Street). Just past the 5th traffic light at Route 5 and South Road, take a right into the Enfield Congregational Church United Church of Christ driveway.

Stop the car near the road and look around you at the gorgeous old New England setting. Check out the statue of Thomas Abbey. Directly across the street from Thomas you’ll see the Old Town Hall. The church building in front of you could be on a picture postcard from any New England village.

Drive to the dirt parking lot in back of the church (there’s a little sign that says Church Parking). Walk towards the small brownish/reddish barn. The letterbox is tucked under the Northeast corner of the barn.

After stamping in, please replace the box as you found it.