Swampscott Town Hall to reopen

SWAMPSCOTT – After almost a year of being closed for extensive renovations, Town Hall on Monument Avenue will reopen on Sunday from 1-4 p.m. for a rededication ceremony.In early June 2007, offices that were located in Town Hall moved to the former Temple Israel property for the duration of the renovation project, which included new central heating and air cooling systems, updated electrical systems and fire suppression systems.For the first time in its history, the entire facility is handicapped accessible and the connector wing is equipped with a handicapped accessible elevator. Handicapped accessible bathrooms are located on all three levels. The extensive renovation project allows the town to utilize most of the third floor, which had previously been used primarily for storage.Town Hall, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1899 as the private residence of General Electric Co-founder Elihu Thomson. It was sold to the town in the 1940s and has been used as a town hall since that time, but very few modifications were made when the building underwent the transition from a private home to a municipal building.Immediately following the 1 p.m. rededication ceremony, Swampscott Historical Commission member Mary Cassidy is scheduled to make a slide presentation of photographs taken when Thomson was alive and contrast those with photographs taken over the past year showing the renovation process. SHS Member Sylvia Belkin is scheduled to speak about Thomson’s life and his impact on technology.Belkin said much of Thomson’s later work was done in a laboratory, which was connected to the main house by a covered bridge. The bridge was removed when the town bought the home, but the first and second floors of the laboratory have been in use since the town purchased the property. The third floor of his laboratory, which had never been used by the town, has been restored and will house offices and an archival center for the preservation of old town documents and memorabilia.Town Administrator Andrew Maylor said Town Hall employees are expected to move back into the building starting June 6.”It will be an aggressive move,” he said. “We’ll start on Friday and Town Hall will be open for business on Monday, June 9.”