The Massachusetts settlement called New Marblehead became “Windham” in 1762 and with no place to conduct municipal business, the new town officers held an annual meeting in the stockade-fenced-in fort that stood near today’s Parson Smith house on lower River Road.

Meetings were held in the Province Fort for 28 years, right through the Revolutionary War. By 1768, it became obvious that the expansion of the town made it necessary to hold meetings where more residents could attend and for awhile, the town meetings were held in the Newhall section, in the schoolhouse. Then toward the end of the 1700s, they met at the church at the corner of Webb and Chute roads. In 1811, the meeting was held at the Friends’ meeting house, corner of Swett Road and Route 202.

In the early part of the 1800s at one of these meetings, the town leaders started talking about the need for a “town house” where the town’s business could be conducted, and in April of 1814 a vote was taken to build a town house.

Nothing was done for about 20 years. By now, Windham was a town in the state of Maine.

The brick town house was finished in 1833 and included a walk-in fireproof vault. The 50-by-40-foot structure was built in the center of town and for many years it was used as a school for much of the year. From 1893 to 1910, it also was where “high school” classes were held for students who planned to have a higher education.

Until 1983, this building housed the school superintendent’s office along with all the town officials. In that year, the town offices were moved to the former high school, and the school officials moved into the building adjacent to the brick building.

The building was turned over to the Windham Historical Society in 1983 and the Society renovated, insulated, painted and turned the former town house into Windham’s first museum and history research facility. Many displays illustrating the town’s past are here where Windham residents and visitors can view the past.

The Society has purchased adjacent property and plans to enlarge the building as well as create a “village within a village,” a living history center called the Village Green.