Updated: January 30, 2007

Bethel to build a lock-up – also available for courts and business engagements. March 2, 1889 At the 1889 annual town meeting, Bethel’s selectmen asked for a suitable building for a town office and lock-up, combined or either separately, and raise and appropriate a sum of money for the same. The town voted to build a lock-up, agreeing with at least part of the request. The previous year voters had passed over a request to build a lock-up and raise money for that purpose. .

Bethel: 4/9/1889: The new lock-up committee that is to select a lot and superintend the building consists of Town Attorney A. E. Herrick, Deputy Sheriff Cyrus M. Wormell and A. D. Godwin. They have a contract with Gilbert Tuell to do the carpenter work and with Benjamin Bryant to do the foundation. They have purchased a lot from J. B. Chapman near Rialto Hall on High Street. 5/15/1889: Gilbert Tuell had begun constructing the new lock-up building.

When town officers needed a hall to assemble voters for town meetings or for elections, they had a number of good choices close by. Therefore, for the routine annual hall needs, the town’s voters had passed over previous calls to build a town hall. Despite a blemish on the selectmen’s prestige for not having the prominence of their own office, the town was spending less than $30 per year to rent office space as needed. Since 1886, assemblies had used Pattee’s Hall on Spring Street, Ideal Hall on the Common and Rialto Hall on Main Street. Moreover, when the question of how the town should handle office and meeting room arrangements, voters had decided to leave to the selectmen the task of finding and renting office space for their selectmen’s meetings.

Albany and Gilead had town halls but they did not have as many options to choose from as are available in Bethel from private owners. Voters in Bethel had been eager to spend town money for economic development in past years but were tight-fisted when it came to spending on education and town administration.

			At the 1890 annual town meeting, Article 22 asked: To see what the town will vote, in regard to the management of the lock-up. The town voted to give H.C. Barker the care of the lock-up. He will be responsible for all money paid for use of the room. It was decided that the lock-up will be used for the convenience of any persons who wish to occupy a room for a day’s business, such as referees, committees, etc. as well as holding court for criminal cases.
	Bethel’s Lock-Up and Court House Pencil and airbrush drawing by the author – as re-called from memory of the building as it existed circa 1950. The Lock-Up was only two houses away from my school – 1945 to 48.

Bethel’s “Court House”. Like many elements of Bethel’s history, the real purpose of a town facility, such as the lock-up and the town farm, is more accurately explained in the town’s financial reports. In this case, the Lock-Up served more regularly as a small court room than as a lock-up. (Of course, the selectmen were overseers of the poor; therefore, the building was always available for use as a temporary “inn” for those unable to pay at a more traditional lodging.

The Lock-up Account for 1892 showed the following expenses and income coming from use of the building as had been decided in the 1890 town meeting:

The town paid H.C. Barker $9.00 for the care of the Lock-Up for 18 courts plus the expense of one cot – total expenses for 1892: $11.00. The town received $27.00 for renting the Lock-Up for the 18 courts and an additional $1.50 rental fee for one auction – making the total income $28.50. For the year of 1892 there was net income of $17.50.

Bethel’s correspondent reporting on the planned use of the lock-up asked the question - Why don’t the Bethel selectmen occupy the room for their meetings instead of hiring a room elsewhere? In 1891, the selectmen’s miscellaneous expenses included paying Goodwin R. Wiley $25 for office rent and stationery plus $18.82 for blank books and stationery.

In the town treasurer’s account of Resources the Lock-Up’s value (initial cost) was $550 compared with:

$8,000 value of the chair factory,

$2,500 value of the corn factory building,

$3,041.45 value of the town farm stock, buildings and tools,

$191.34 for liquor, casks and cash on hand for the Liquor Agency,

$250, for bridge Toll House property and

$250, value of two road machines.