Town Historian Dan Cruson's space in one of two rooms formerly occupied by the town clerk office at Edmond Town Hall, and the other currently serving the Borough of Newtown, are being reassigned to potential long-term tenants.

Making a motion "to notify the current occupants … of the reassigned space," according to Board of Managers meeting minutes of April 24, managers are working to lease the spaces. Following an executive session "for discussion and possible action regarding a long-term lease for the former town clerk's office," managers unanimously passed a motion "authorizing the leasing ... to be offered and if accepted, to be executed," by the Board of Managers chair and vice chairman, the minutes state.

Tenants are "interested in moving in," said building Operations Manager Sheila Torres.

No revenue has been coming in from either occupant, Ms Torres said. Neither the town historian nor Borough have a lease for the space; however, the Borough does make contributions to the building, she said. The facility relies on the theater, and also rented office spaces, as income.

Mr Cruson and the Borough both received offers to use other space in the building, Ms Torres said. She noted "alternate space down the hall," from the town clerk's office, which is immediately off the main lobby.

Relocation

The need to relocate "materialized" without warning Mr Cruson said.

"There had been no communication" that the office he occupied would be leased in the near future. He received only an invoice saying he would be charged as of July 1, but Board of Managers Chairman Margot Hall soon spoke with Mr Cruson and worked matters out, he said.

He is "working on a solution to move to the municipal center," located in Fairfield Hills, he said. "Barring the unforeseen," he hopes, with the help of Newtown Public Works crews, to move materials to the former probate space in about a month.

First Selectman Dan Rosenthal confirmed that Mr Cruson will be able to use the municipal center space and vaults there in the former probate office.

Regarding alternative space at Edmond Town Hall, Mr Cruson said he would again share the smaller rooms and vault with the Borough, and that "the space is limited."

Since he has been "consolidating Newtown's history" for many years, the materials amassed need the larger space the municipal center offers. There is office and vault space, and likely access to storage in the basement, he said.

Of his office's contents, he said some furniture, there since the office opened circa 1930, will remain; some materials will be discarded, and others boxed up, including many "small artifacts" that he intends to keep, he said.

Furniture, including the desk where he sat with piled letters, books, and old photographs, appears in an old picture of that room, and in the same position. Ahead of the desk in the picture is a glass-topped table, also still in the room. Beneath the glass now was the picture. Seated behind the desk in 1930 - where Mr Cruson now sat - was Town Clerk Oscar Pitzchler.

Glancing outside, Mr Cruson recalled several instances where he could "watch history happening on Main Street." He is "sad to be leaving. The fun part of being up here - this is where things are going on."

Being at the municipal center has some advantages, however, including lending his assistance to people doing title searches through records in the town clerk's office. The town clerk will be right down the hall from his new location.

Glancing at the many old books stacked on chairs, wooden former store signs, and curling black and white photos, he said, "This is a building I have come to love."

He hopes to have everything organized and ready to move in coming weeks.

For many years Mr Cruson has been keeping track of Newtown's past. All his work has been as a volunteer, and he has kept note of people and events in town, with lives that often intermingle, he said. The Legislative Council officially created the position in 1994.

[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-319481" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Town-Historian-leaving-ETH-Pitzchler-in-1930.jpg" alt="Town Historian leaving ETH -- Pitzchler in 1930" width="800" height="566" /]

A picture from 1930 shows then Town Clerk Oscar Pitzchler seated behind a desk that still sits in the same corner of the room that Town Historian Dan Cruson has occupied for eight years within Edmond Town Hall. Mr Cruson recently sat in the same location as Mr Pitzchler, to talk about his upcoming relocation to Newtown Municipal Center.