National Register of Historic Places

Old Town Hall

Chester, Middlesex County, Connecticut
Listed
February 23, 1972
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
72001310

About this property

The Old Town Hall is a historic public building on Chester Green in Chester, Connecticut. Built in 1793 and subsequently altered and enlarged, it has been a significant civic meeting point for the community since its construction, hosting religious services, town meetings, and theatrical productions. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Chester's Old Town Hall is located at the town's traditional center, north of the modern main village. It is set at the north end of the Chester Green, between Liberty Street and Goose Hill Road. It is a 2-1/2 story timber-frame structure, with a clapboarded exterior and steeply pitched gable roof supported by trusses shaped out of heavy wooden timbers. The gabled ends of the building have formal entrances at their centers, which have Federal style surrounds, and are no longer used. There are single-story extensions projecting from both the north and south sides, one providing an enlarged entrance vestibule, and the other a stage area. The structure was built in 1793 as a meeting house, principally to serve the local Congregational parish, which was then still part of Old Saybrook. It served as the meetinghouse for the Congregational Church until 1845 when a new Congregational Church was constructed on West Main Street. It was sold to the town of Chester (incorporated in 1836) in 1847 for $300, and used as the town hall to hold town meetings. In 1876, the building was substantially remodeled as a theater. Aside from its use for local theatrical events and high school graduations, the building continued to be used as the site for town meetings until 1960. National Register of Historic Places listings in Middlesex County, Connecticut

Location

Chester, Middlesex County, Connecticut
41.40704, -72.45203

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURERELIGIONSOCIAL HISTORYPERFORMING ARTS
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Old Town Hall

This page lists Old Town Hall. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Old Town Hall report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Daniels, Charles, House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Pratt, Dr. Ambrose, House
Industrial
0.6 mi
Villa Bella Vista
Industrial
0.6 mi
Warner, Jonathan, House
Industrial
0.9 mi
Pratt, Read and Company Factory Complex
Industrial
1.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Old Town Hall listed on the National Register?

Old Town Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 23, 1972.

What type of historic resource is Old Town Hall?

Old Town Hall is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Old Town Hall?

The period of significance for Old Town Hall is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Old Town Hall?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Old Town Hall will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Middlesex County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Middlesex County.

Explore MiddlesexCounty ›

More historic places in Connecticut

Browse all historic places in Connecticut.

View Connecticuthistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Connecticut history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Connecticuthistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Old Town Hall will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report