Gardiner Town Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Gardiner Town Hall
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Building in 2007
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| Location | Gardiner, NY |
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| Nearest city | Poughkeepsie |
| Built | 1875 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| NRHP reference No. | 00001423 |
| Added to NRHP | 2000 |
The Gardiner Town Hall is a special building in Gardiner, Ulster County, New York. It used to be a school, but now it's where the local government works. This building is important because it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It helps the town of Gardiner run smoothly every day.
The town hall is located on US 44 and NY 55. It holds all the different parts of the town government. You can find the town court and even a local office for the New York State Police here. The building is designed in the Queen Anne style, and it's painted green and white.
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History of Gardiner Town Hall
From Schoolhouse to Town Hall
The building that is now the Gardiner Town Hall started its life in 1875. Back then, it was a simple one-room schoolhouse. It was actually moved into the hamlet of Gardiner by rolling it on logs!
About 50 years later, in the 1920s, a big fire swept through the community. Many buildings were destroyed, but the schoolhouse was one of the few that survived. It kept serving as a school for many years. Over time, it was made bigger, expanding to two rooms. It continued to be used as a school until 1981.
Soon after it stopped being a school, the town of Gardiner started using the building. At first, it was mainly a place for the town board to hold meetings. Other town offices were located in different places, like the firehouse across the road or in other buildings downtown.
Becoming a Historic Place
In the year 2000, the Gardiner Town Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a special list of buildings, sites, and objects that are important in American history. Being on this list means the building is recognized for its historical value and is protected.
After the building became a historic place, the town started thinking seriously about making it better. They wanted to renovate it and make it bigger. However, some people in the town didn't think such a big project was needed. In March 2001, they voted against a plan to spend $1.5 million on the expansion. Later that year, another vote limited the town to spending no more than $850,000 on any renovation or new construction.
Renovations and Improvements
Three years later, a new town supervisor, Carl Zatz, started a new project. He wanted to renovate and expand the building. This project caused some discussion. Other town officials and residents wondered if the work could really be done for the low costs that Zatz suggested.
However, the project was finished. Supporters of Zatz said it was completed for less money than they had planned. Some people from the opposing political party, however, criticized him. They were unhappy because an old outhouse from the school days was removed during the renovation. Despite these discussions, the building now serves as a modern town hall for the community.
