The Gilbert and Bennett Manufacturing Company was Georgetown's biggest employer. G&B supported its employees and in 1915 allocated funds to build a school. Eventually technology passed G&B by, its support dried up, and the towns responsible for the school all stepped away.
n 2011, the town of Wilton entered into a five-year lease agreement with the Georgetown Community Association for the aging school building. The lease wasn't clear about responsibility for maintaining the building or notifying the town if/when the building needed repairs.
A major rainstorm occurred in August 2024. The G&B school's roof leaked in numerous places. The town declared the building uninhabitable and ordered the community association to vacate the premises immediately. An evaluation put the cost of repairs at $3 million, which is a lot for a small town with other important claims on its funds.
So, today the G&B school is empty. One resident group wants to see it repaired. Another wants it torn down. While the debates play out, the aging building just gets older and more deteriorated.
2 comments:
I hope this fine looking building can be restored and put to a good public use. I know there are companies who specialize in repair of tile roofs, but I don't know what they charge. Water can do a great deal of damage to a building.
A bit sad.
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