Aspinock Memories
Eastern Connecticut Trade School from days of yore
Bill Pearsall, Municipal Historian
The idea of a Trade School in Putnam started in the early 1900s. The State Board of Education was considering building three trade schools in Connecticut and Putnam leaders and citizens wanted to be considered as a location for one of the schools.
In an article on Sept. 24, 1909, the Putnam Patriot Newspaper said: “A good many of our citizens are waiting eagerly, and the less hopeful ones anxiously, the announcement of the State Board of Education, where the Eastern Connecticut Trade School is to be located.”
The article goes on to say that the State Board of Education visited Putnam and were taken in automobiles by members of the town school committee and the Businessmen’s Association to view our surrounding beautiful hilly towns. When the party reached Thompson, they were invited to visit the home of Mr. Norman B. Ream. While they were there, the subject of the location of a trade school was broached. Mr. Ream gave many cogent reasons why the school should be located in Putnam. Not just for Putnam, but the benefit of Thompson, Woodstock, Pomfret and Killingly. All immediately surrounding Putnam with easy accessibility to Putnam. So wrought up had Mr. Ream become by his pleading arguments that with a smile, he concluded by saying: “Now gentlemen the question is settled. Putnam is to have one of the three schools proposed. All that needs to be done is for the State Board of Education to publicly announce the fact.”
The State Board of Education announced in 1914 the three towns that would receive Trade Schools. They were Putnam, New Britain and Bridgeport.
The first trade school in Putnam was in Hammond Hall on Harris Street. In 1916, a new two-story colonial revival style building was built next to the high school on School Street. According to the Norwich Bulletin, the Town of Putnam boasted a state-of- the- art trade school, and with electricity being a hot new commodity, this school was a valuable resource. It featured carpentry, a machine shop, a textile department, a drafting and electronic department. Finally in 1930, an addition of an aviation mechanics section was built which turned out to be the most popular course of study at the school. The carpentry students also built houses in the area and the school was used for voting during elections. The school also offered evening classes for students.
The building, as you might remember, was parallel to Providence Street in the approximate location of the present Municipal Complex. The western end of the building bordered the railroad tracks. In 1955, hurricane Diane dumped 30 inches of rain on the Northeast causing devastation flooding in Putnam and all of Connecticut. The overflowing river followed the course of least resistance and rushed down the railroad tracks. The bank beneath the Trade School washed away causing a partial collapse of the building.
Both the Trade School and Grammar School buildings were demolished after a fire in 1977-78. The property was then used as athletic fields for the town.
Aspinock Memories graces the pages of the Putnam Town Crier to keep Putnam’s history alive.
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