The Old Town House was built in 1727 and served as the original town hall for the town of Marblehead, Massachusetts. The building is constructed in a Georgian style and was designed by the architect Nathan Bowen. The yellow building with its wood clapboard siding on a granite foundation stands in the middle of Washington Street with traffic circling around it.
History of the Old Town House
Though the main floor was originally used as the town hall, it’s lower level was used as a market initially. When Abbot Hall was constructed in 1876, it assumed the role of town hall. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. It is part of the Marblehead Historic District.
Old Town House in Modern Use
Currently, the top floor houses the GAR Museum. The Grand Army of the Republic was a post-Civil War veteran’s organization and the GAR room stands as it did for the last meeting of that organization.
The main floor sees the most visitors on the Fourth of July when it houses the annual Marblehead Festival of Arts photography exhibit. At other times, the large open space is used for a variety of meetings.
The lower floor holds the Marblehead Police museum with various items from the long history of the Marblehead Police Department.
Images of Old Town House
The simple Georgian building makes for a focal point with its position in the middle of Washington Street where it intersects with State Street. The contrast of yellow against a blue sky makes for a great photographic subject in the Summer. The building is equally photogenic in Winter with snow surrounding it. The annual Winter parking ban in Marblehead allows one to imagine this building as it existed hundreds of years ago without the distraction of parked cars surrounding it.
Full Gallery
