Berlin Town Hall
Berlin’s first town house was constructed in 1831 for the purpose of conducting town meetings, as well as, other social activities. By the 1860's the small building no longer suited the needs of the growing community. It was decided to construct a new building for town meetings and public uses.

Following the Civil War, the Town wanted to remember those citizens who had lost their lives in the great conflict.  Within the new building would be a memorial hall with plaques memorializing the fallen s iers.

Construction of the new town hall was  started in 1869 and  completed in 1870.  The lot, a small piece of land facing the Meeting House Common in the center of Berlin, was given to the Town by Artemas Barnes, a native noted for this and other gifts to the community.  The dedicatory address was given on March 2nd by Rev. William A. Houghton, pastor of the Congregational Church, a prominent townsman and later the author of the 1895 History of Berlin.  Portraits of Artemas Barnes and Rev. Houghton hang in the upper hall of the building, along with that of Chandler Carter, another native son who gave the Town $20,000 to pay off a municipal debt.

Memorial Hall
The Memorial Hall, on the first floor,  included photographs of nearly all the local s iers lost in the Civil War.  Later the photos of other Civil War veterans were added until likenesses of nearly 100 local men were collected there.  In the 20th Century, war dead of World War I, World War II and Vietnam were added to this unique gallery of honor.  The room was used by the Grand Army of the Republic as its meeting place.  The furnishings of this room are now part of the Town Historical Collection under the jurisdiction of the Historical Commission.  The Berlin Art and Historical Society often  met in Memorial Hall and still maintains exhibits in the room.

Barnes Hall
Barnes Hall, used for social gatherings, and the Selectmen’s Room were also on the first floor.  In 1904-1905, an addition was built at the back of the building to provide space for a kitchen and the public library on the first floor, and the stage on the second floor. Toilets were added in the 1930s.

Other Uses
In addition to sheltering the transaction of the Town’s business, our Town Hall has been a center of educational and social pursuits.  The public library was located in the Town Hall from 1891 until 1928. Barnes Hall was used as a school room in the 1870s.  The Berlin Grange, Board of Trade, Boy and Girl Scouts, and numerous other groups have held meetings in the Town Hall. Three local religious organizations, First Unitarian Society (1871), Methodist-Episcopal Church (1880), and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church (1950), also held their first worship services there.

The building is known and remembered by many for the plays, musicals, dances, and other social Events held there.  As recently as 1999 the locally-produced musical Swinging Into the Millennium was held in the upper hall.  Two area contra dance groups have used the hall in recent years.  Meetings of Boy and Girl Scouts and local youth baseball and soccer groups also are held in the building.  Occasional special Events are held in the auditorium by the Berlin Lions Club, the church choir and others.  In June of 1997 the building was used for twenty-four meetings, demonstrating its continuing usefulness.

The Police Department had its offices in the Town Hall beginning in 1972.  After town offices were partitioned off on the first floor in 1979, community use was reduced.

Friends of the Town Hall
In June of 2000 the town offices and Police Department were moved to new quarters in the remodeled former school at 23 Linden Street.  In the year prior, the Friends of Berlin Town Hall had organized to make improvements in the building and encourage continued use by community groups.

The project of refurbishing and renovations of the Town Hall, under the direction of the Friends of the Town Hall, continues.