In a special town meeting on Feb. 3, Clinton voters approved the sale of the Academy Building at 61 East Main Street to the First Church of Christ Congregational for the sum of $1. This marks the second time the Academy property has changed hands between the town and the church.

In 1976, First Church, which at that time had been established in Clinton for more than 300 years, lacked clear title to the property it occupied—a fact that prevented the church from qualifying for a bank loan. That year, the congregation struck a deal with the town: In exchange for the title to the property on which the church was situated, First Church gave the Town of Clinton clear title to a quarter acre of land surrounding the Academy building. In the swap of quit-claim deeds was an important covenant: If the town ever wanted to sell the Academy property, including the building and land, it would have to give First Church of Christ right of first refusal to purchase it for $1.

That’s exactly what happened in 2015, when the cost to maintain the aging structure prompted a decision by the town to relinquish its ownership of the Academy.

Though the Board of Selectmen approved the transaction with no additional provisions, Clinton’s Historic District Commission (HDC) asked that a historic preservation easement be placed on the property.

“An easement would ensure that this property, which surveys have identified as a historic structure, would be kept in good repair and preserved to the extent possible in its original state,” HDC Chair Larry Ouellette said at the Dec. 9, 2015, Board of Selectmen meeting.

He noted that easements vary depending on a building’s use and capacity and maintained that the HDC’s recommendations were modest and wouldn’t place an undue financial burden on the church. The HDC also requested that the town be granted first right of refusal, for $1, should the church ever decide to sell the Academy Building.

Critics pointed out, however, that if First Church invests heavily in maintenance and restoration of the 215-year-old structure and eventually decides to put it on the market, forcing it to turn the building over to the town for $1 would mean the church could not recoup its investment.

Reverend Chris Horvath, pastor at the First Church of Christ, has said that the congregation recognizes the Academy’s architectural and historical significance and has every intention of preserving it. According to Horvath, the church plans to use the property as a community center for meetings, retreats, the local food pantry, Boy Scout and Cub Scout troops, and 12-step recovery groups, such as Al-Anon.

After a brief discussion at the February special town meeting, a voice vote was taken, with 63 votes in favor of the sale of the Academy Building and one opposed. Many of those in attendance were First Church congregants.

When the vote passed, shortly before 6:45 p.m., Horvath stood from his seat in the front row, reached into his pocket, held up a slip of paper, and smiled.

“I have a dollar,” he said.