As the town takes up the question of what to do with some of the historic buildings in town center, we feel it’s appropriate to revisit the histories of these grand places. The following is reprinted from the March 2, 2007, issue of the Harvard Press.

“On Valentine’s evening, 1894, the chill air of Harvard center was moist with the breath of hundreds of carriage horses who would wait until well past midnight to convey their owners many miles back home. What brought over 1,000 people to town hall that winter night was neither a wedding nor a funeral, nor a lecture by a noted politician, philosopher, or scholar. The reason for all those people to congregate in finery and fanfare was a dance.”

Attributed to Emilia Hersey, from the Harvard Historical Society archives

Our current Town Hall was built in 1872.  (Photo courtesy of Harvard Historical Society)

The present Town Hall of Harvard, completed in 1872, was the hub of the town for about 100 years. The large open room and stage on the second floor was the scene of an incredible number of socials, dances, and plays in the late 19th century. These were the popular amusements that Victorians approved of as virtuous entertainment at the time—providing an alternative to the temptations of the saloon—and gave opportunities to teach young people proper manners and decorum. The above-mentioned dance of 1894 was held in honor of Simon Green, a farmer and dancing master, and paid tribute to his 50 years of dance and music instruction to local students in Harvard. Green was so popular that on this occasion two parties were held: one for the “old folks” and small children, and one for the young men and women of the county. But such a dance was not unusual. Each year there was a special theme—Fancy Dress, Calico Ball, or Masquerade. A ball began with a grand march and circle led by prominent townspeople. Suppers used to be held at the hotel down the street, but after the Old Elm House burned in 1880, suppers were served in the lower Town Hall. In later years, when Mr. Green was gone and there were no more formal balls, the town had the reputation of having the best dancing floor, and young people for miles around flocked to Harvard to dance.

Harvard’s original Town Hall was located diagonally across the street from the current one. It was sold to a town resident for $100. (Courtesy photo)

The custodian of the Town Hall kept complete reports of activities in the building for a three-year period during the 1890s. The records show that the building was opened for events about 100 times a year on average. Those events included such diverse offerings as Unitarian fairs, temperance meetings, and performances of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Often, as in the case of the Midsummer Mix-up of 1907, proceeds from these entertainments were used to benefit the town. Annual town reports show that in 1922 residents voted to allow basketball games in Town Hall; in 1931 they spent $1,000 for a piano and 20 years later bought a new curtain for the stage for $500.

As time went on, the second floor of Town Hall was increasingly needed for municipal offices, and the number of social events held there gradually declined. In 1988, the custodian recorded only 35 rentals, including Three Apples Story telling. After 1988, there are no further entries in town reports.

The building, which was the center of social activity for so long, was initially a source of deep divisiveness in town. No town construction project that had gone before could compare with the extended haggling over the location and construction of the new Town Hall in 1870 and 1871. Warrant articles in 1857 and 1867 calling for a new building to accommodate the town’s growing population were dismissed, and at the Annual Town Meeting of 1870, nearly the whole day was spent voting on the question of whether or not to build it. Proponents of the building won by a narrow margin, but there were more obstacles to come. The construction committee, $1,500 over its budget of $8,000, recommended the present site for the new town building. Townspeople did not agree with this conclusion and asked for further study. A new committee was formed and four other sites were considered and rejected.

In July 1871, over a year after the first proposal, the town decided to locate the building on the current site, which was, of course, the original recommendation. By then the cost had gone up $500. The first meeting in the new Town Hall was held in April 1872. The original Town Hall, located diagonally across the street from the new one, was sold to a town resident for $110.

In 2007, Harvard again focuses on its Town Hall. The plan is not to build a new one, but perhaps to re-house the town offices in the old library, leaving the present Town Hall building open for other uses. It may be that on Valentine’s evening, 2010, the chill February air of Harvard center will be filled with exhaust from many cars leaving Town Hall after an evening of dancing, or play-watching, or listening to a concert. Simon Green would love it.