This 1840 Greek Revival building rendered in pinkish brick served as the Glastonbury Town Hall for over 100 years until it was moved to its current park-like setting on Hubbard Green. The simple building packs a surprising amount of architectural detail: tall 16-over-16 windows with brownstone lintels, a ten-paneleled front door and and a round-arched louver in the recessed triangular section of the pediment’s tympanum. This was the site of the town’s first meetinghouse back in 1693. The building is the home of the Historical Society of Glastonbury and operated as a museum.
This site has had a busy building history and a legacy of 150 years of serving the community. The first structure erected here was an Italianate frame building that was occupied by the Glastonbury Academy. It is gone today but its successors remain in use. The oldest extant building. facing the street, was the Williams Memorial that served as a community recreation center with bowling lanes and a gymnasium. It was built by the family of James Baker Williams in 1915. Williams came to Glastonbury in 1847 to manufacture Williams’ Genuine Yankee Soap, the first manufactured soap for use in shaving mugs. The company, that would develop such iconic products as Aqua Velva, Lectric Shave, and Skol, remained in the family until 1957. A complimentary Georgian Revival building was added in 1923 and a one-story brick-and-glass addition came along around 1960.
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