Construction is well underway at Old Town Hall. While much of the activity is currently hidden behind scaffolding, the progress being made is substantial. This phase supports CitySpace’s long-standing goal of creating a fully accessible entryway and elevator that will serve all floors of the building, including the second floor and balcony.

Several floors of scaffolding now surrounds the future elevator and new entryway, with one final section still to be installed.

Inside the building, Easthampton-based stained glass conservator Glenn Shalan has carefully removed the monumental 25-foot stained glass window. Rather than dismantling it from the exterior, he developed a method to remove each panel from within, protecting both the glass and the surrounding masonry.

Shalan believes the window may have been created by Samuel West, a Boston-based stained glass artist whose work appears in several historic buildings. . This attribution is currently being researched further.

The space once occupied by the window will become the 2nd floor entry for the new elevator entry. Although the window has been removed from its original location, it remains part of the building. The stained glass will be fully restored and permanently displayed inside Old Town Hall.

During removal, the team uncovered an unexpected detail in the brickwork behind the window. Only a single row of brick extends all the way to the floor, a reminder of historic construction methods and the care required when adapting an older structure for modern use.

For now, the work remains largely concealed by scaffolding and plywood. From outside, the new entryway is taking shape. This phase focuses on careful preparation and protection, laying the groundwork for what will follow as the building gradually begins to reveal the changes taking shape.