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History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

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1760.] FIRST SCHOOL-COMMITTEE—NEW COURT-HOUSE. 317<br />

Workhouse Proposed. I^ 1765. a Committee was constituted to<br />

confer with tlie neiglibor<strong>in</strong>g "towns <strong>of</strong><br />

Hatfiekl and Hadley, respect<strong>in</strong>jij the buikl<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> a workhouse<br />

<strong>in</strong> conjunction for the use and benefit <strong>of</strong> the three<br />

towns." Timothy D wight Jr., Dea. Ebenezer Hunt and<br />

Col. Seth Pomeroy, constituted this committee, but noth<strong>in</strong>g<br />

seems to have been accomplished. No report by them<br />

is anywhere alluded to upon the records. On consideration<br />

it was probably deemed a matter upon which the towns<br />

could n<strong>of</strong>pr<strong>of</strong>itably enter <strong>in</strong>to partnership.<br />

A New court-House The Court-House and Town Hall, owned<br />

<strong>in</strong> Agitation. ^ud used jo<strong>in</strong>tly by the Town and County,<br />

built <strong>in</strong> 1738, was old, and <strong>in</strong> need <strong>of</strong> re-<br />

pairs. The question came before the town <strong>in</strong> 1766, <strong>in</strong> the<br />

form <strong>of</strong> a threefold proposition made by the county :— that<br />

the town buy the share owned by the county, jo<strong>in</strong> the<br />

county <strong>in</strong> build<strong>in</strong>g anew, and <strong>in</strong> sell<strong>in</strong>g the old one. A<br />

committee was appo<strong>in</strong>ted to confer with the county <strong>of</strong>ficials<br />

regard<strong>in</strong>g the sale <strong>of</strong> the property, but the town refused to<br />

do anyth<strong>in</strong>g more than <strong>its</strong> rateable proportion towards<br />

build<strong>in</strong>g a new Court-House. No terms satisfactory to<br />

either party were arranged at this time. A proposition<br />

was made the next year to purchase the home lot <strong>of</strong> Elisha<br />

Alvord, corner <strong>of</strong> Ma<strong>in</strong> and K<strong>in</strong>g Streets, as a site for the<br />

new court-house, "'soon to be erected," but the town refused<br />

to make an appropriation for that purpose. At the<br />

same time, however, it was voted "to repair the town<br />

house underp<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g as may render it safe, and so not to<br />

expose an 5^ person's life by fall<strong>in</strong>g." Town-meet<strong>in</strong>gs cont<strong>in</strong>ued<br />

to be held <strong>in</strong> this build<strong>in</strong>g till 1777, and after that<br />

time <strong>in</strong> the Court-House, till 1814, when a new Town Hall<br />

was built. In 1782, the Town and County united <strong>in</strong> the<br />

sale <strong>of</strong> the old build<strong>in</strong>g, when Robert Breck paid the town<br />

£4.8.9 for one half <strong>of</strong> it.<br />

A New Court-House The propositiou to build a new Court-<br />

^"i"^- House, brought before the County Court<br />

<strong>in</strong> 1766, was the occasion <strong>of</strong> the above<br />

named action by the town. William Williams <strong>of</strong> Deerfield<br />

and Oliver Partridge <strong>of</strong> Hatfield, together with others.

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