August 15 - The building committee, consisting of Henry S Perham, James P Emerson, J J Hoyt, William Manning, and Eldad P Bean, accepted the proposal of William C Edwards of West Chelmsford to build the new town hall for $5,730. The building was to be occupied by January 1st, 1880.

October 17 - The building committee decided that the approved appropriation would not cover the cost of finishing the lower hall or supper room and that the $400 needed should be raised by voluntary contributions from the community.

"Upon the first floor as we enter is a spacious vestibule. The first room on the right is appropriated to the use of the selectmen, while its opposite was designed for library room and contains a fire proof vault, where are kept the ancient records of the town. In the rear are a supper room, kitchen and ladies room, which were finished at an expense of $400, contributed by the residents of the village.

"The upper hall contains an auditorium, which will comfortably seat about 500, a spacious gallery, and a waiting room upon each side of the platform. The acoustic properties of the hall are excellent. The entire building is heated by furnaces."

Historical Society postcard 2009.4.82

"The principal improvements consist of two toilet rooms in the basement and stairways leading thereto from the vestibule."

August 11 - "D W Robbins of Carlisle is adding five feet to each of the town hall chimneys to secure a better draught. Now if the tower could be raised about 10 feet the building would assume proper proportions."

October 7 - The Chelmsford Free Public Library opened in the town hall, but "space was so limited that it was found necessary to close the doors & pass the books outside as they were called for. This unavoidable change has occasioned some discomfort to the patrons, as the space where they were obliged to wait could not be heated."

"The sum of $13,115 for the renovation of the town hall as a WPA [Works Progress Administration] project has been approved by the officials at Washington, having earlier met with the sanction of Massachusetts state WPA officials. Before the work can be started, a special town meeting will have to be held to gain the consent of the voters of the town ...

"Briefly outlined the new accommodations contemplated call first for lowering the present basement two feet, with a cut granite wall on the north side with windows and two entrances from the roadway now at the side of the building. Here a dining room space 52 by 27 feet is provided, with a kitchen in the southeast corner 26 by 15 feet ..."

Special Town Meeting, October 7: "Under Article Three - On a motion made by James A Grant, it was voted to transfer from the Excess and Deficiency Account the sum of $7,055.64 to the account called 'Addition and Alteration of the Town Hall at Chelmsford Centre.'"

October 15 - The Chelmsford town offices were relocated to North Chelmsford town hall for the duration of Center town Hall reconstruction.

The images below show the 52 by 27 foot dining room space created by lowering the basement by 2 feet, and the the 26 by 15 foot kitchen on the far right end of the dining room. An abandoned stairway in the back of the kitchen once allowed policemen to quickly get to the patrol car garage via the basement.

April 27 Lowell Courier Citizen - "Interior Thoroughly Reconditioned by WPA.

"New Heating Plant and Fireproof Vault Among Features, New Brick Building Also Added ...

"The building has been reconditioned throughout as a WPA project and the first floor and lowered basement entirely changed over.

"The exterior of the building remains the same with the exception of an outside chimney on the south side for the new heating plant and the addition of a one-story brick building in the rear to house the car of the Police department and provide quarters for the superintendent of streets."

"New glass panelled doors with glass sidelights and fanlight in colonial design, have been placed at the entrance, making a much cheerier lobby than heretofore. The entrance hall and stairways, both to the upper hall and basement, remain practically the same. The hallway running the length of the building, is about two feet narrower than before and is divided midway by swinging glass doors.

"First, on the right of the corridor, come the offices for the accountant and treasurer, town clerk and tax collector, divided by connecting doors and here is also located a two-storied fireproof vault, rising from the basement to the ceiling of the first floor. [The vault was made by the Herring-Hall-Marvin Safe Company of Boston]

"Beyond the vault is the Board of Assessors office. On the left of the hallway, starting from the front of the building are anterooms and public toilets for men and women. Next is a large office for the use of the selectmen, WPA, Finance board and Board of Health. This room is 20x18 feet with folding doors.

"Beyond is an office for the Welfare department, partitioned so that a waiting room and consulting room is provided. The office of the Police department is at the rear on the left, partitioned to give privacy for conferences. At the foot of the stairways leading to the basement, there are short ramps to the basement level. The new cloak rooms are located on this passageway.

"The newly-painted exterior of the building is the same as before, white with green blinds ...

The interior of the building has been finished in uniform colors, buff walls and brown woodwork ..."

March 14 Annual Town Meeting - Edmund H Gunther made a motion to authorize the selectmen to sell the meeting house land. Under Article 3, a vote of 413-yes to 11-no authorized the sale of the land to the First Congregational Society (Unitarian) reserving the right to enter the church to maintain the town clock (deed 1291/297).

with the Health Department, sanitarian, Chelmsford Water District, veterans’ agent as well as vault space occupying this area ..."

October 11, 1975 Chelmsford Independent - "OK for Town Hall By JUDY BUSWlCK

"A Certificate of Appropriatness was granted for Town Hall renovation this week by the Historica District Commission. Mr Richard H Cassale and Mr Weslety F Restall of Keyes Associates presented the plans for restoration of the Town Hall as designed by the Allen L Boemer & Associates, Boston architects. Mr Boemer was also present to answer questions.

"Interior changes are not in the dominion of this commission and so they addressed their questions to the appearance of exterior changes. The most prominent change will be a handicapped ramp for access by the handicapped. This ramp will start as a graded path along the presenet parking area and gradually elevate to a stained wooded ramp with thin steel railings. The entrance will be at the rear of the side of the building, near the interior wheelchair lift for getting to the second floor. Evergreen and rhododendron bushes will soften the lines of the ramp.

"Other changes include the removal of air conditioners from the wiindows and the addition of a louvered vent on the back of the tower. The new air conditioning condensers will be set low to the ground in the back of the building."

This stairway was removed in 1964 to expand Town Clerk Charlotte DeWolff's office, but was rebuilt in 1975 with the handicapped chairlift seen here. The exterior ramp leading to that interior stairway is hidden between the evergreen hedge rows in the image below.

Selectmen's Report - "During the summer months the house was completely renovated to meet office needs and the outer buildings were demolished. The house is presently being occupied by the Youth Center, Council on Aging, Town Planner, Purchasing Agent and CETA Co-Ordinator."

This 1978 aerial view by Regina Linsley shows outbuildings behind town hall used by the highway department, and before 1953, the fire department.

The proceeds of this sale were used for renovations at the McFarlin School "A" building at 50 Billerica Road.

December 14 Special Town Meeting - "UNDER ARTICLE 1 Paul C Hart moved that the Town vote to transfer from Free Cash the sum of $10,000.00 for the purpose of Architectural and Engineering design and study, and for the renovation of the Old Town Hall Building.

"The Finance Committee was in favor of the article. Motion Carried."

"The Finance Committee recommended the article ... The Selectmen were in favor of the article ... The Moderator asked for a voice vote, Motion defeated. Selectman Emerson asked for reconsideration of the article and further explained why the Selectmen felt that the renovations should be done. After a lengthy discussion the Moderator asked for a voice vote on the motion to reconsider. Motion carried. He then asked for a voice vote on the article, which left the chair in doubt ... A hand count was taken, Yes-167 No-81, Motion carried."

This grant enabled restoration of town hall, undoing the changes made from 1959 to 1964, and restoring the upper hall to its original purpose.

February - "The Massachusetts Historical Commission awarded a grant to the Town for repairs to be made to the roof and porch of the Old Town Hall."

April - "B & P Painting of Lynn was awarded the contract for the painting of the Old Town Hall in its original colors of 100 years ago."

May 23, 1985 Newsweekly Editorial - "This year a proposal has been made ... naming the spacious and beautiful second floor room at the Town Hall ... 'Veterans Memorial Hall.'

"This is an appealing idea which we support, but with one reservation-that what is to be called 'hall' under the proposal be changed to 'Veterans Memorial Auditorium' to distinguish it from the Town Hall itself. There is no thought of changing the name 'Town Hall' to make it a memorial building and this should not, in our view, be done. However, a hall within a hall tends to be redundant ...

"In this connection, there is another confusion which we suggest needs to be immediately cleared up in the use of 'Old Town Hall' for the structure opposite the Center Common ... A large sign at the entrance to what began life as Chelmsford High School on Billerica Road ... reads 'Town Offices.'

"This is not the 'new' Town Hall, but the Town Offices. It is incorrect, misleading and almost, one might say, disrespectful, to use the phrase “Old Town Hall” for a building whose function continues to be, as it always has been, a gathering place for the people of Chelmsford ..."

"In the patriotic and reverent spirit of Memorial Day, we would therefore respectfully suggest that the dedicatory plaque bear the words “Veterans Memorial Auditorium” and that some official notice be taken of the misnomer so often used in referring to the building in which it is located. The Selectmen, we understand, will be considering the dedication which is planned for July 4 and on which action must be taken soon. The members of the board went on record this week as unanimously favoring the proposal ..."

The Innovation Academy Charter School, founded by Chelmsford parents in 1996, leased town hall for a brief period as they transitioned into their new regional campus at the former Boston University Conference Center in Tyngsboro.

November 5 - The Chelmsford Housing Authority (Housing Authority) board voted to explore converting the newly-vacant Center Town Hall and long-vacant North Town Hall into affordable one-bedroom housing units.

February 28 - The town hosted public open houses at both town halls. A passionate group of residents picket against the Housing Authority plan in front of Center Town Hall as seen in these images.

March 2 - The Housing Authority suspends efforts to redevelop the Town Halls, to give the community an opportunity to investigate and implement plans. If after July 1, 2011, the community fails, the Housing Authority would revisit its plans.

May 1 - The town manager and select board approve five applications for a Town Halls Utilization Study Committee (Utilization Committee): Steve Roberts-Chair, Fred Merriam-Vice Chair, Matt Hanson-Clerk, Gail Kruglak, and William Gilet, Jr.

June 10, July 9, and August 5 - The Utilization Committee held public input sessions. Several energetic advocacy groups came forward with realistic plans for each town hall.

The front runners were "Chelmsford Center for the Arts" (CCA) for Center Town Hall, and "North Chelmsford Community Center" for North Town Hall. Susan Gates led the CCA group, and Laura Lee the North Community Center group.

Based on preliminary approval from the town manager, The Utilization Committee met with the Permanent Building Committee (Building Committee) on August 11 and the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) on August 19.

October 1 - The Town Manager granted approval to seek funding from the CPC to enable the Building Committee to proceed with cost estimating.

October 5 - The Utilization Committee recommended to the Select Board that the CCA become operational, “as is,” during the downtime while awaiting project design and approvals.

November 7 - A ribbon cutting ceremony, seen here, marked the opening of the "as is" CCA with state and local officials and project advocates in attendance.

The Building Committee selected Vertex Construction Services to be Owner's Project Manager, with Architectural Services candidates to be selected in September 2010.

Town Hall was to be fully rehabilitated, with a significant new addition to the back of the building housing an elevator that will allow full handicap access to all three floors of the structure. $2.56 Million of CPC funding was allocated by Town Meeting for Town Hall. In a separate warrant article, $25,000 of funding was allocated for a theatrical lighting system to make the second floor stage useful for theatrical productions.

SUBMITTED BY: Town Manager, Community Preservation Committee, 2/3rd Vote. Moderator declared motion carried by recognizing 2/3rd vote by-law."

September - Bargmann Hendrie + Architype, Inc was selected as architect, JML Engineers as structural engineer, Hancock Associates as civil engineer, and M O'Connor Contracting, Inc as contractor.

The town provided a large trailer for Sandy Donovan's Food Pantry behind Town Offices at 50-Billerica Road prior to demolition at the rear of town hall.

Architect, engineer, and contractor sign

The former Food Pantry was demolished

Jume 30 - The five-member Town Hall Advisory Committee appointed in 2010 became the Center for the Arts Advisory Committee, with members Kathy Cryan-Hicks, Susan Gates, Katherine Harbison, Andrew Rega, and Dacey Zouzas.

Before and After, 2009 to June 22, 2012 -

July 12 Chelmsford Independent - "CENTER FOR THE ARTS A new life for the Old Town Hall

"By Molly Loughman mloughman@wickedlocal.com

"Event Highlights:

"1 - A crowd of close to a hundred gathered for the ribbon cutting ceremony at 4:30 pm on July 3 behind what used to be Chelmsford's Old Town Hall, which now stands as a revamped and renovated Chelmsford Center for the Arts. Eric Linsner of the Chelmsford Community Band opened the ceremony by playing the trumpet. The first speaker was David Lapierre, treasurer of the Chelmsford Toastmasters, one of the CCA's founding organizations, who have been meeting at the 1879 building for more than half of their 33 years in town. Other organizations involved in the CCA are the Art Society, the Cultural Council, the Community Band, the Community Jazz Band, the Illumination Opera and the Chelmsford Players.

"2 - Town Manager Paul Cohen reflected on the history of the building and its prior inhabitants. Cohen then recognized the strides taken by Chairman of the Housing Authority David Hedison, the Town Hall Study Committee, the Board of Selectmen, the Permanent Building Committee, Town Facilities Director Gary Persichetti, Susan Gates and the Town Hall Advisory Committee, and lastly, participating artists. Then thanked the following for their donations: Chelmsford Telemedia for theatrical lighting and the sound system, Charlie Parlee for donating the granite ball, and members of the community-at-large. Chairman of the Community Preservation Committee Robert Morse acknowledged April 2010 Spring Town Meeting when the committee sponsored a warrant article for the restoration of the Old Town Hall.

"3 - Since 1981 the Old Town Hall was used for many different purposes, including a recreation center, office space, a charter school and most recently, the Chelmsford Center for the Arts. Board of Selectmen Chairman Jon Kurland reminded listeners of the massive transformation the new facility underwent. Chairman of the Permanent Building Committee Patrick Maloney thanked construction and architecture services for their partnership during the two-year project. The ceremony ended with the cutting of the red ribbon at the building's back entrance, before the public filtered in its doorways to witness its fresh changes.

"Overheard at the event:

Chairman of the Board of Selectmen - Jon Kurland

“This time last year you would have seen the Old Town Hall as a mere shadow of its former greatness. It's interior appeared as tired and neglected as its chipped and flaking exterior paint. Look what has transpired in a single year... Today Chelmsford is making a statement. Today we have built a Center for the Arts that will be a source of pride for our town and citizens for generations. This building signifies that Chelmsford will support the importance that art provides to the establishment and maintenance of a vibrant community. It is a symbol that we value and actively support the arts.“

Town Manager - Paul Cohen

“You look back to when this building was constructed in 1880 and I think our forefathers, parents, sires, the children, everyone else who was here at that time, I think they would be proud of where we are today. When they envisioned building this building on the town common and providing a facility for the Town Hall for the community and here we are 140 years later rededicating the commitment to the community and recognizing the efforts of the Town of Chelmsford."

November 15, 2012 Chelmsford Independent -

"By now everyone ought to know Chelmsford's Old Town Hall has been restored, renovated and reinvented. Thanks to Susan Gates' formidable work, our town now has a dedicated center for the arts.

"The CCA is home to the Chelmsford Community Bands, the newly resurrected Chelmsford Players, Chelmsford's own Illumination Opera Company and it houses even a children’s theatre program, which next month will be presenting the stage version of 'The Polar Express.'

"Shows featuring music and stand-up comedy can be enjoyed in the cozy first floor Acoustic Coffeehaus. In addition, the CCA gallery exhibits the works of talented local artists. The beautiful building is handicapped accessible."