The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
‘Proud of Litchfield’s legacy’
Courthouse could become new town hall
LITCHFIELD — Litchfield has grappled with its need for a new town hall for years, but may be on the verge of making a decision on where it will be located.
The plan under consideration centers on the former Litchfield County Courthouse on West Street. It closed in 2017 and since then the Greater Litchfield Preservation Trust has focused its attention on returning it to the town. To further its idea, trust members hosted tours to educate the public on the history of the 18th century building, and found an architectural firm to design plans to use it as Litchfield’s town hall.
That proposal is now in the hands of the Litchfield Town Hall Review Committee, which has been meeting to develop a plan for a new town hall. Two weeks ago, the committee voted to present the preservation trust’s plan to the Board of Selectmen — and eventually to the public.
Why a new town hall?
The existing Town Hall on West Street houses the selectman’s office, probate court, the town clerk, assessor, tax collector and finance director offices. The old classrooms in the former Bantam School building, where court operations were also held, are home to the town’s planning and zoning office, parks and recreation and the fire marshal.
Having municipal operations all in one place has always been the goal. And over time, proposals have included moving all town hall operations to Bantam, expanding the existing Town Hall on West Street, or building a new structure to house all departments. Using the old school has proven to be too expensive, and Litchfield has opted to use that property for housing.
The cost has been a stumbling block. The cost of a new building, according to plans developed by the review commission through architect John Martin and estimates from local construction companies, would exceed $8 million. Under that proposal, it would be built behind the old Town
Hall, on property adjacent to the town skating rink. It would be a one-story structure accessed by a driveway, hidden from West Street/ Route 202.
The preservation trust’s plan would use the basement, first and second floors of the old county courthouse for all town departments. The building has three vaults to provide secure storage for town records. There are large rooms for meetings, smaller rooms for department gatherings, and space to renovate each floor for offices. The trust’s cost estimates, developed with Cambridge 7 Associates — a historical architectural firm based in Cambridge, Mass., that has a number of projects under its belt — total $7.6 million. Those costs include bringing the building into compliance with current Americans with Disabilities Act requirements with a new elevator and restrooms added in an addition in the rear of the building.
Perley Grimes, president of the Greater Litchfield Preservation Trust, is convinced that using the courthouse for town hall is what was always intended.
“Since 1785, there’s been a government function in the courthouse, and when the courthouse operations were moving to Torrington, we found the owners and got them to sell it to us,” said Grimes, an attorney with Cramer and Anderson, who has practiced law for nearly 50 years.
“We think it’s important to maintain that governmental function in that building. I don’t think there’s any building in Litchfield County that’s more iconic or more important than that courthouse — nothing that’s quite as impressive. It only makes sense to preserve it this way, and give it back to the people of Litchfield,” he said.
Meeting its mission
The Greater Litchfeld Preservation Trust, founded in 1975, has a mission to preserve properties with architectural and cultural significance, and find uses for them, Grimes said.
In 1888, a fire severely damaged the courthouse and residents of the town of Litchfield took their own money and rebuilt it, Grimes said. Since then, it has been used as a town hall and a courthouse. A marble plaque inside the courthouse provides the names of individuals who were involved in its resurrection.
“It was used (as a town hall and courtroom) until 1960, when the county court system was abolished, and the state decided to take over the courthouse, and kicked the municipal offices out,” Grimes said. “That’s how the existing Litchfield Town Hall came to be. What we want to see is the municipal function of the courthouse restored.”
If the town agrees to use the courthouse and have it renovated, it will receive it from the preservation trust as a donation. Grimes said the trust is on board and has spent its own money with Cambridge 7 to make the plan happen.
“We have provided an architect’s rendering of its uses,” he said. “We have had an environmental analysis, and an engineering analysis. We had a structural analysis done. We’ve committee more money to the project, by virtue of these studies, to show that it can be done and that it should be done.”
Grimes noted the trust has successfully preserved a number of buildings in the center of town, and that the courthouse is an important piece of that work.”
“We preserved the post office when the feds wanted to move it to Route 202,”he said. “The first building in the commercial block, the old Talbot’s building and the only one without an elevator was preserved by the trust. We think preserving the commercial block in town is important.”
Resistance
When the preservation trust first brought its plans to the Board of Selectmen and the Litchfield Town Hall Review Committee, they were met with some resistance.
“The town said, ‘We don’t know if we want to accept this gift’ and they went and got their own designs for a new town hall from John Martin,” Grimes said.
Once the town’s designs were completed, the review committee asked for estimates and received two — $7.7 million from one, and $8.7 million from another.
“So the average is still much higher than it would be to renovate the courthouse,” Grimes said.
It appears that the review committee “likes the numbers” they were given for the courthouse renovation project. Earlier this month, members voted to recommend the preservation trust’s project to the Board of Selectmen, which is scheduled to meet Tuesday. After that, the selectmen must decide whether or not to go with the trust’s plan. If it does, Litchfield residents would be invited to public information meetings on the project, followed by a referendum.
First Selectman Leo Paul, who serves as an ex-officio member of all town boards and commissions, has sat through the design committee’s meetings and heard many presentations on constructing a new building or renovating the courthouse.
“In the end, the committee is expected to recommend to the Board of Selectmen the $7.6 million renovation of the old courthouse,” Paul said recently. “They reviewed the projects with two construction managers, and I believe the price has a lot to do with it ... I can’t speak to the motivation of all the members, but it had to do with price.
“I don’t have an opinion on what (the selectmen) will decide,” Paul said. “In these types of things, I sit back and observe, and if anyone has a question, or I have a questions, it’s asked. That’s really my role here.
“The review committee is going to make their recommendation, and explain their reasons, and then it will be up to the selectmen,” he said. “From there I hope to talk with the board and see what they want to do. And we want to hear what the public has to say. We’ll do that before we decide what our next action is.”
On a personal note, Paul said, a decision must be made soon regarding a municipal building.
“I know what we need to do — we need to do something, for a new town hall,” he said. “As long as the courthouse can work for the town, and it meets our needs, that’s fine. I don’t care what we use, as long as we do something.
“I want the option that’s going to work best for the community,” he said.
Legacy
Eileen Schmidt, a member of the preservation trust, is convinced that the courthouse is the best option.
“I walked through the courthouse the other day to find out how many offices are in there ,and I came up with 21 offices, a big courtroom, meeting rooms and two vaults,” Schmidt said. “There are so many things in that building that will work.”
Whatever happens, Grimes said, the ultimate decision must be made by the voters.
“My sense is that the voters of Litchfield would select renovating the courthouse,” he said. “I don’t think there’s much of a chance that a referendum would pass on anything other than renovating the courthouse. The people of this town are proud of Litchfield’s legacy, and all that goes with it. Many people have worked hard over the years to preserve that. They’ll say, ‘It’s a no brainer’ to renovate. They’re also practical. They’re Yankees.”
The Litchfield Design Review Committee is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. in Paul’s office on Tuesday . That meeting is open to the public.