Old Town Hall – A Centerpiece of Entertainment
Once known as one of the oldest landmarks in town, it was built in the 1860’s formerly $1,200 by the Benevolent Police Society of Clayton. This large two story structure once stood on the northwest corner of the High & Pearl Sts. Its 12 members, mostly glassblowers, were bonded to ensure that the money required for construction was paid.
The building was designed for the purpose of being an entertainment center for citizens, employees, family and friends of two of the largest glassworkers factories in town at the time; Moore Glassworks and Pierce Glassworks.
Built of hand notched sturdy oak beams with pegs to reinforce the joints, the building encompassed a jail (a room for each sex), a theater, political forum, educational center/town library, and a dancing/concert hall. On the second floor a gymnasium was used for Clayton High School basketball games at one time a skating rink.
In 1958, Clayton Council agreed to deed the property to the Clayton Volunteer Fire Co. Gordon Jacobs, President of the Fire Co. at the time, was told by council that the property was deeded to the Fire Dept. with the provision that the firemen would erect a new firehouse to conform with plans and specifications presented and approver by council.
It was expected that J. R. Keen and Sons of Salem would start demolition of the old structure in February 1959 and construction of a new fire house would begin in April by Clayton’s Volunteer Firemen on a one-story structure, 48 x 100 feet wide building containing four bays to house fire equipment. The estimated cost to complete the project was $15,000 for materials only, since the firemen supplied their labor at no charge.
What’s a firehouse without banquet facilities? Included in the project was a large kitchen, a meeting room and a large area where various community organizations could gather for dinners and dances. The property had room for expansion and would leave the old one-bay firehouse, which was right next door available to Clayton’s Vol. Ambulance Corp.
Of course, the new building that replaced Clayton’s Old Town Hall in 1959 is still occupied and maintained by our dedicated community firemen, but is used more so for regular firemen meetings and for its banquet facilities that housing fire equipment. Over the years as the old fire trucks were replaced, new ones were to large to fit into the old structure and at the same time the building became more popular for hosting events, whether by Fire Dept. or by local organizations or families looking for an inexpensive place to gather for their special occasion.
The four bays within the old red brick front, have since been filled in and the fire trucks that once sat within its walls are now stored in the new addition facing High St.
Editors note: You can see many old photos of these structures in the Clayton Historic Preservation Museum at 29 East Ave., including large sections of the original orate chimneys that once stood atop of the Old Town Hall.
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