Historic Millerton building has new owner

MILLERTON -— After sitting dormant for nearly six years, Millerton’s “Old Village Hall” has a new owner. Sold on June 20 for $255,000 — more than $5,000 above the original listing price — the transaction marks a new chapter for a building steeped in local history.

The property, listed in February by Arleen Shepley of Elyse Harney Real Estate, had previously been managed by the Village without an agent. According to Millerton Mayor Jenn Najdek, that approach proved time-consuming and generated little interest. With a professional listing in place, the sale closed in just under five months for the vacant property located at 21 Dutchess Ave.

Having worked in the building before the COVID-19 pandemic, Najdek said it had significantly deteriorated over the years. She noted that after the heating system broke, the estimated cost of repairs was steep — even with a grant to help make the building ADA-compliant.

“The interior renovations alone were going to cost around half a million dollars — and that didn’t even include the roof, windows or chimney,” said Najdek. After careful discussion, the Village decided the best path forward was to sell the building and relocate to a rental space on North Elm Avenue, where the Village Offices and Police Department currently reside.

Mayor Najdek expressed enthusiasm for the recent sale, noting that the formerly tax-exempt, village-owned building will now contribute to the local tax base and generate revenue for Millerton. “We’ll place the proceeds from the sale into a reserve account and wait until we find a property that truly makes sense for our offices to invest in,” she added.

Built in 1904 as Millerton’s first firehouse, the shingle-style structure originally housed the E.H. Thompson Hose Company — named after Edward H. Thompson, president of the Millerton Bank and a key figure in founding the village’s fire department.

According to a written history of the Millerton Fire Department — produced in 1992 to commemorate its centennial — the Village purchased the land for the firehouse in 1902, broke ground in the spring of 1904, and later named the company in honor of Thompson.

The document also notes that in 1892, “the Village Trustees adopted the bell of the old Presbyterian Church as the official fire alarm.” That same year, the Village purchased its first hose cart at a cost of $49.50 with a $3.98 bell. The growing inventory of equipment prompted the need for a building.

Edward Downey, President of the North East Historical Society, said the original hose cart was restored in 1990 and is now on display at the Firefighting Museum of Dutchess County, located at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck. And, according to documentation provided by the Main Street Walking Tour, “the fire whistle, once in the tower of this village hall, has been moved to the Millerton Fire Company’s location on Century Boulevard.”

The written history of the Millerton Fire Department also states that in the early 1900s, the E.H. Thompson Hose Company became a founding member of the Harlem Valley Fireman’s Association, along with departments from Dover Plains, Amenia, Sharon, Lakeville, Pawling, Philmont and Pine Plains.

In October 1924, the company officially became the Millerton Fire Department. By 1962, the department had outgrown its original space, prompting the construction of a new firehouse on Century Boulevard. According to historian Edward Downey, the former firehouse was repurposed as a library after the move. When the NorthEast-Millerton Library later opened, the building transitioned once again — this time into Village Hall.

With the sale of the original firehouse now complete, the 121-year-old structure stands ready for a new chapter — whatever its future holds, its place in Millerton’s history remains unchanged.