Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 9.

[p. 42] having been chosen at the March meeting to employ an architect and form estimates of the expense of a building in wood, brick, or split stone, also reported at the April meeting.

These gentlemen stated that it was proposed to erect a building seventy-one feet long, providing for a hall forty feet square in the second story. On the lower floor there were to be two rooms for shops, proper accommodations for the town clerk's office, and apartments for town officers, such as selectmen and assessors. A cellar, forty by sixty feet, was also provided for.

The estimate for a building of wood, according to plan, was $3,600; for one of brick, only one story and no cellar, $3,300; of brick, stone posts and caps, according to plan, $6,200; of rough stone, according to plan, $7,300.

The committee recommended the first estimate, and it was voted to build in accordance with the recommendation.

March 3, 1834, the report of the building committee was accepted and placed on file. [Where is the file?]

It was moved to postpone the building of a town hall for one year, but the motion was lost, 109 to 88.

In November, 1834, the building committee was discharged, and a new committee was appointed with instructions to build a town house on the town's land, corner of High and Main street. John P. Clisby, John Sparrell, and Thomas R. Peck were chosen for the purpose, by ballot.

The committee was instructed to follow as nearly as possible the plans made by Mr. Benjamin, the architect employed by the previous committee, ‘as regards the general exterior appearance of the building.’

The town treasurer was authorized to ‘hire on the credit of the Town, under the direction of the Selectmen from time to time, all such Sum or Sums of money at an Interest not exceeding 5 pr. ct. pr. annum, as may be found necessary to pay all Drafts on acc. of the Town ’