About 15 months ago, after learning from a chimney repair crew that our roof was bad, the Hebron Historical Society undertook the challenge of raising funds to replace it.

How much money would be needed?  Our first quote for cedar shingles was for $41,000.  Wow!  We set a goal of $50,000 (which would cover roof and exterior painting), and developed a plan.  Within 3 months we had raised $10,000 in contributions, ranging from $50.00 to $1,000.00.  To both encourage and thank the initial donors, Kelly Whitesell and Jim Mirakian contributed their talents for “A Summer’s Afternoon Delight” concert.  Refreshments were provided by Gina Marie’s, and a wonderful (but hot) time was had by all.

Other fundraising included a jazz concert by “Quintessential”, the sale of t-shirts, mugs & ornaments (cost of which was covered by Forever Young), profit from “Lost Mill Sites in Hebron” book, coffee can change collection from local businesses, plus additional donations from friends and businesses.

A grant was sought from the 1772 Foundation, but the group must have deemed our request unnecessary because it was denied.  As it turned out, the 1772 Foundation was right – we didn’t need their help.

After studying cedar vs. asphalt shingles:

1. The last cedar roof lasted for only 20 years,
2. Present asphalt roofs can last for 50 years,
3. Architectural asphalt shingles cost MUCH less than cedar,
4. The answer was obvious, and all we needed was a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Properties Commission since OTH is a designated Hebron Historic Property.

Everything was accomplished – we were granted the “COA”; we received a very friendly bid from Klaus Larsen; we signed the contract; and the new roof is waiting for you to view it.

But we're not finished yet.  The next step in our building improvement is exterior paint.  The north and east sides are in need of prep and paint while the other sides presently look great.  The cupola and weathervane also need a little brightening.  For those who missed the opportunity to contribute to the initial fundraising, and have asked about it, the capital campaign pledge form can be found on the HHS website at http://hebronhistoricalsociety.org/oth-restoration-campaign.html, or just send a check to HHS, PO Box 43, Hebron, CT. We still need several thousand dollars to complete our projects. Be assured that your contributions are greatly appreciated.  Also, as a 501(c)3, any donation to HHS is tax-deductible.

Kyle Nelson, recent RHAM graduate, opted to do his Eagle Project for the Hebron Historical Society at Old Town Hall. As you can see in the photos, he assumed the responsibility for an enormous project. He chose to have the threshold replaced, to prep and paint two sides of Old Town Hall, and to clean out and replace the plantings in front of OTH. There was lots of work to be shared by many of the Troop 28 Boy Scouts.

Since our Capital Campaign was to both replace the roof and paint the OTH, Kyle's project will allow the Historical Society time to raise more money before completing the paint portion of OTH.

Our many thanks to Kyle and all who worked on the project.

The History of the Burrows Hill Schoolhouse and Hebron's Efforts to Maintain its Historical Heritage

On the corner of School House Road lies a small red one room building. Inside, in the front of the room, stood a teacher’s desk, on which was placed a few old pencils. The blackboard was, amazingly, still intact. On the floor, near the doorway, was a bright red piece of wood which was used to cover the “tobacco hole,” the place where colonial students disposed their tobacco before coming to class. These are the descriptions of the Burrows Hill Schoolhouse from a 1993 article, “It was moving day for Burrows Hill School” written in The Chronicle. Read more...

In October 2008, the Peters House Reuse Study Committee submitted a report to the Hebron Board of Selectmen regarding potential uses of the house.  The document was scanned to include Ray Overton's detailed architectural diagrams in December 2008.  Read it now 6MB.

Old Town Hall

Old Town Hall
1838

In May, 2004, the Connecticut Legislature bonded $50,000 for the repairs and renovations of Hebron's Old Town Hall as part of Senate Bill 803. The language of the bill can be found at General Assembly web site and states the following in Section 13 (a) (2):

(2) Grants-in-aid for restoration and preservation of historic structures and landmarks, not exceeding $600,000, provided not more than $50,000 shall be made available to the Hebron Historical Society for restoration of Old Hebron Town Hall.

The Executive Board and members of the Hebron Historical Society have been working with State officials since June, 2004 in order to obtain this grant money and make the much needed repairs and restorations to Old Town Hall. We also gratefully acknowledge the efforts of the Town of Hebron and various legislative offices for their assistance in moving the grant process along. We hope, at a minimum, to at least have the building painted by the end of 2005.

All repairs and renovations must be completed by December 31, 2006 in order to meet the terms of the Funding Agreement with the State of Connecticut.

Gull School House

Since May 2004, Society members have been working diligently to complete renovations to the Gull School House. The building was moved to Hebron Town Center in September 2001, adjacent to the Hebron Town Office Building and the Horton House. Interior renovations are almost complete; exterior renovations will be completed in mid-2005.

Special recognition goes to the following:

• Thomas Linskey, West River Restorations, Portland, CT. Tom went far beyond the project scope with his work on the windows, floors and interior carpentry. Tom will be working on exterior repairs in mid-2005.
• Richard Macrina, Hebron, CT. During the course of ceiling repairs, we discovered that the chimney needed to be flashed. Richard volunteered for this job as a community service, and used copper flashing. Excellent job!
• Craig Cyr, Hebron, CT. Craig has done a variety of jobs on the project, and continues to be highly involved in completing the project.
• Will Aubin, Hebron, CT, Eagle Scout project. Will is in the process of preparing an inventory of Gull furniture and accessories, painting the interior, and preparing a ready-to-view museum of the Gull, all in time for the Grand Re-Opening Ceremonies on March 12, 2005.