BUILDING HISTORY

The address of 20 Station Avenue was a site chosen some 100 years ago to erect a brick building to house the Odd Fellows Hall. The building, as originally constructed, consisted of two floors, containing about 3,800 total square feet.

In 1940 the premises were purchased by the Town of Groton and repurposed as a Fire Station. Some years later, the Fire Department added another 1,200 square feet to the East side in order to house additional fire trucks and equipment for the growing town. Part of the second floor was renovated to accommodate an office and a bathroom for the fire fighters.

Over the years, the second floor has served a remarkable variety of functions including a meeting place during the Town Hall reconstruction, the Boy Scout headquarters, and even the site of Groton’s famed chess club for a number of years.

In 2014, when the new Fire Station neared completion, the Groton Board of Selectman and other boards solicited proposals to privatize the building. Several town boards reviewed the applications and selected the McElroy application based on its bid and envisioned use of the building. The vote for the McElroy proposal was unanimously approved by all town boards and ratified by a town meeting vote.