The Municipal Hall as a Multipurpose Structure

Aside from regular government business, the building served as a court for the travelling Justice of the Peace or Coroner. For a time, the building also served as a school when the original school proved too small, as well as holding Anglican church services, dinners and public lectures.

After the railway arrived in 1857, Millbrook went through a boom period and it became clear that a magnificent new municipal hall was needed to reflect the newfound prosperity and importance of the village and township. In 1873, township Council opened tenders to move the old town hall closer to the mill pond and construct a new brick and stone building "at a cost not exceeding $5,000", on 1 King Street East. (It ended up costing about a thousand dollars more. Sound familiar?).

In the fall of 1873, Frederick Curry, Gordon McIvor and John Dean spent two months digging the drains and foundation for the new hall with pick, shovel and wheelbarrow, for a payment of $48.84. Construction then proceeded, the new hall opening in January 1875 (a few months late, oh well).

The Municipal Clerk's office was set up and caretaker Mr Curry was given a room in the basement to live in. Council chambers and a formal court room was provided for trials, with jail cells constructed in the basement. There was a large hall occupying the second floor opening on a balcony over the front entrance.

An application to council was made by a local butcher to use a portion of the basement as a shop, as the thick stone walls of the building would have provided an ideal cool storage space for meat. There is no record of council's reply.

 

 

 

 

 

The Town Hall soon became the centre for cultural and entertainment activities in the township. In good weather, the Millbrook Brass Band would perform from the second storey balcony. Concerts and recitals both amateur and professional were regularly held in the hall. Dances were a regular event. Millbrook High School graduation ceremonies were held in the hall, as were school plays and other local productions.

For decades, the bell in the tower would ring at 7am, 12pm, 1pm and 6pm to announce work hours, as well as serve as a fire alarm.

By the early 2000s, municipal government had expanded greatly as did the need for office and meeting space. In 2005 in a contentious decision (to put it mildly), the town hall was sold to Nexicom, the local telecommunications provider. They have proven to be conscientious caretakers of this important part of local history.

Nexicom is taking part in the Blocks and Blooms Festival, Saturday June 15th. The old town hall will be open to visitors and vintage artifacts will be on display.

Tickets for the entire festival and tours are available locally at Moody's in Millbrook ($20 cash) or the Millbrook Cavan Historical Society website, millbrookcavanhs.org

To find out more:  the Millbrook & Historical Society has a number of publications available.