Old Town Hall
The Town Hall was one of the first Town Halls, if not the first Town Hall, constructed in the Commonwealth following the public approval on November 11th, 1833 by the voters of the State of a referendum to ratify the separation of church and state by amending the Article III of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the Commonwealth. Prior to 1834 the Sandwich Town Meeting had met in the Congregational Meeting House located at River and Main Streets. The Sandwich Town Hall is therefore not only an architectural symbol of the roots of democracy but also the actual historical embodiment of the separation of governmental power and religious expression.
Town Hall was built in 1834 at the northern end of Lower Shawme Lake. It is a two-story, Greek Revival temple-front building that rests on a cut granite and fieldstone foundation. The building included an upper hall capable of seating 500 people and town meetings were held here. In 1912, the word SANDWICH was added above the words TOWN HALL on the front of the building. In 2009, the entire building was restored to its former glory. The second floor ballroom is particularly beautiful with its historically accurate stenciling of tan and brown paint and gold leaf, theatrical stage, balcony seating and fully restored historic shuttered windows. Once again, the second floor is used for movies, theatrical productions and other civic activity.
To log this geocache on opencaching.us, the password is 1834.
Town Hall was built in 1834 at the northern end of Lower Shawme Lake. It is a two-story, Greek Revival temple-front building that rests on a cut granite and fieldstone foundation. The building included an upper hall capable of seating 500 people and town meetings were held here. In 1912, the word SANDWICH was added above the words TOWN HALL on the front of the building. In 2009, the entire building was restored to its former glory. The second floor ballroom is particularly beautiful with its historically accurate stenciling of tan and brown paint and gold leaf, theatrical stage, balcony seating and fully restored historic shuttered windows. Once again, the second floor is used for movies, theatrical productions and other civic activity.
To log this geocache on opencaching.us, the password is 1834.