But the Townsman reports that hopes to store and reuse elements of the old Needham Town Hall (before Wellesley split off in the late 19th century) have taken a blow because the cost to preserve them will be a lot more expensive than originally thought by town preservation backers. The old town hall components are currently part of the Wellesley Country Club bulding that’s being torn down as the club shifts to its new building. Wellesley Board of Selectmen chair Greg Mills tells the Townsman:
“If you think of [the] flooring of [the] second-floor meeting room of the original town hall — that’s really the historic interior space — those could be used in any large rooms of a senior center, [or] possibly in a conference room of Department of Public Works, [or] possibly in a room of a portion of the Morses Pond bathhouse,” he said. “We still feel it’s a very significant building in the town’s history, and that all efforts should be made to preserve elements of it for future generations to appreciate.”
Whatever becomes of the old pieces, they still might get more visibility as parts of future public town buldings than they’ve had as part of the private country club building.
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