Seekonk Selectmen Consider Options for Old Town Hall

The Seekonk Board of Selectmen is considering what actions to take regarding the Old Town Hall on Taunton Avenue. The building, which had been used for the police department, has been unoccupied for many years.

In 2018, Selectmen designated the task of determining the building’s value to members of the town’s Historical commission and the Community Preservation Committee.

John Alves, a member of the Old Town Hall Building Study Committee, said the property could be used by various organizations. Alves also suggested using it as a place for voting instead of Seekonk High School.

“This really is the first piece of real Seekonk history that we have,” explained Dave Sullivan, another member of the committee. “To let it go, to tear it down, really would be a shame and would not be honoring our past.”

The property had been sold to the Seaconke Wampanoags for $55 in 2014. The tribe had intended to convert the building into a cultural and meeting center. Those plans fell through and now the town owns the building again.
A total of $100,000 has already been spent from the town’s community preservation fund in order to prepare the building for the historic register.

“It’s a beautiful building and it speaks to the history of the town,” Chairman Justin Sullivan said at Wednesday’s meeting.

Sullivan noted the town had already invested in other historic properties, such as the Medeiros farm, purchased with CPC funds.

“I don’t want to spend any residential tax dollars on renovating (the Old Town Hall),” Sullivan said, adding the town should sell the surplus properties and give the proceeds to the senior citizens to offset their tax payments.

Selectman Michael Healy said the town has not done enough to maintain their buildings. He believes the Old Town Hall could serve a purpose, as long as it’s properly maintained.

“We really need to do at least the basics to maintain that building so it doesn’t deteriorate any more than (it already has),” Healy added.