Q. What was the piano used for? Was it for church services or for concerts?
A. The piano would have been used for church services, of course, but also for
many other activities which took place accompanied by music. These would include
weddings parties, dances, plays old home day (a special "town reunion"
typically held each fall), and other similar gatherings.
Q. Is the Meeting House used only for any thing at all other than meetings?
A. Yes. At various times parts of the building have been used for school classes, for storage of the Town Hearse, as the town library (for over 70 years), as a place to keep town images, and as a mechanical workroom. Many social occasions, such as wedding, parties, dinners, dances, plays, etc., have also been held in this building.
The building was originally known as the Pelham Meetinghouse from 1743 until 1840 when it was primarily used both for town meeting (civil services) and for Sunday worship (church services). When the Pelham Hill Church was Built in 1840 (now the Pelham Historical Society Museum), the Pelham Meetinghouse became the Pelham Town Hall, as religious services were moved to the church.
The following photos are from the Pelham Library Local History Collection.
