Ritchie Supports Restoration of Historic Oswegatchie Town Hall

State Senator Patty Ritchie is announcing that she has secured $100,000 in special state funding for much-needed repairs to, and around, the historic Oswegatchie Town Hall building.

The 88-year-old town hall, which currently houses several town offices, still has its original steps at both the front and side entrances. Despite numerous attempts to repair them over the last two decades, the steps have been deemed unsafe and need to be completely rebuilt.

“It is not easy for any municipality to fix some of the issues with these historic buildings that are such a vital part of what their communities are,” Senator Ritchie said. “That’s why I think it is so important to help ensure a town like Oswegatchie can save a key part of its past, so it can be key part of its future.”

$50,000 of the funding secured by Senator Ritchie will go towards repairing the steps and replacing sidewalks around the town hall.

“The Town Supervisor and Town Board members appreciate Senator Ritchie’s assistance with this grant,” said Bill Dashnaw, the budget director for the Town of Oswegatchie. “Without this grant, the Town Board would have to keep making minor repairs and not make necessary replacements.”

The remaining $50,000 secured by Senator Ritchie will go towards replacing the town hall’s leaking roof.

The Town of Oswegatchie and City of Ogdensburg had shared office space in the city until a fire burned down the building in 1926.  Rather than joining Ogdensburg in the construction of a new, shared building, Oswegatchie voters decided to build their own town hall in the nearby village of Heuvelton.  The Oswegatchie town hall opened in 1930.