The Establishment of Willimantic's Governing Building
In 1692, Windham was designated a town in Connecticut. Overtime, the town grew in both industry and population. For nearly 150 years, various locations and buildings such as churches, meeting spaces, and other public areas were used to host town meetings. As Willimantic grew following the Civil War, the town utilized a room within the Savings Institute building located at 803 Main Street in the center of Willimantic. In 1880, town offices resided in the Hayden Block located on Main Street just west of the Savings Bank Institute. Shortly after in 1887, the town offices were forced to move into a part of the Natchaug Silk Mill along the Willimantic River as a result of a sharp increase in rent. In 1893, Willimantic became a city within the town of Windham and the members of the community decided to set a building for both city and town matters.
When the time came to decide the details for the new construction in 1885, there was much disagreement, but after long political battles regarding the costs, the city finally determined the location of the new structure. After collecting bids from architects throughout the region, the committee chose Warren Briggs from Bridgeport to design the building. Warren Briggs was the popular choice as he studied in Paris, and also built the Fairfield County Courthouse located in Danbury. Although there was resistance from some community members regarding the funding needed for construction, Briggs was able to successfully plan and develop the Windham County Courthouse which comprised both a courthouse for the region and Windham town offices. On September 16, 1896, Jeremiah O’Sullivan who was the main builder for the project, handed the keys to the town Committee’s Chairman W.N. Potter. The clock tower was illuminated by electric light from 6 p.m. until midnight symbolizing that Willimantic now had a courthouse and town hall. Since its development, the building has housed courtrooms, the Willimantic government, Town of Windham government, and the local chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic.