West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 89 by Charlie Miller

____June 28, 1892- AN ORDINANCE – 

Section I - Be it ordained by the Council of the Village of Jefferson, that a town hall shall be erected for the Village at a cost not to exceed $10,000.00. 

Section II – The building shall be erected on the site of the old town hall and the old town hall building shall be sold at public auction to the highest bidder. The taxation being levied annually on all the taxable property in the village shall be 5 ½ mills on each dollar valuation of said property for a period of 10 years and in anticipation of collection of said tax, bonds of said village in the aggregate to the sum of $10,000.00 shall be issued bearing interest at the rate of 6% per annum, payable semi-annually. Said bonds shall be 20 in number each for the sum of $500.00, with the interest as aforesaid, and shall be numbered consecutively from 1 to 20. No.1 shall be due and payable March 1, 1893, and one of said bonds in numerical order shall be due and payable every six months thereafter. Said bonds shall bear the date of their delivery. Said bonds and interest shall be payable at the Treasurer’s Office in the said village. A suitable and capable person may be employed by the said council to prepare plans and specifications for the said building. 

____July 21, 1892 – The committee on the new town hall reported the Cedarville town hall was a very desirable hall and agreed to adopt the greater part of its plan. On motion, it was agreed to accept the Cedarville Hall with some alterations in the gallery and model it after the Yellow Springs gallery. 

____July 27, 1892 – John Flynn was employed as architect for the new town hall. 

____August – Bonds were sold for the purpose of paying the cost and expenses of the wrecking of the old town hall. 

____September 20, 1892 – The following bids for tearing down the old town hall were opened and read as follows: William Webb, $2.97 per square foot per 1000 bricks; William Stickley, $1.99 per 1000 bricks; Marion Clark, $2.00 per 1000 bricks. The contract was awarded to William Stickley. Then William Stickley informed Council he would not take the contract to tear down the old town hall. The contract was then awarded to Marion Clark, Taylor Harrington, and John Clark. Thomas C. Gregg was appointed a committee of one to see that the hall was torn down carefully and that the work was done according to specifications. (Your writer remembers Tom Gregg, I was born in his house and lived there later as a teenager) 

____October 11, 1892 - A bill for $107.58 was paid to Marion Clark, Taylor Harrington, and John Clark for tearing down, cleaning, and piling up 46,112 bricks, and 7,680 bricks in bats a total of 53,792 bricks @$2.00 per thousand. (Some of these bricks were used in the 1893 town hall) 

____October 11. 1892 – James Slaven was appointed to sell the old town hall bricks. The good ones for 75c. Piece, the poorer ones for less.