What is the Hilton Township Hall?

Hilton Township Hall is an original stone building, constructed in 1861 to serve as the council meeting room for Brighton Township. It is located at 59 Chatten Road, a short distance east of No. 30 Highway, at the village of Hilton. For those driving from a distance, take the 401 to the No. 30 exit and go north. Can't miss Chatten Road and the hall is a little east from there. 
Built in 1861 as the first Brighton Township Meeting Hall, this lovely stone structure served in that capacity until the 1990s. 
History events began to be held at Hilton Hall when Dan Buchanan presented "The Breakaway" on April 21, 2012, on the actual day, back in 1852, that the Breakaway happened. This picture shows the crowd in the hall that night, with my family at front, bottom, including my father, Rev. Charles Buchanan, who was ill and passed away a few months later. 
In 2014 the Hilton Township Hall became a Heritage Centre with Friends of Hilton Hall Heritage Centre organized to provide programming for the community. A dedicated band of volunteers stages events ranging from history presentations and displays to a song circle and Christmas carol sing. It was great to see the old hall full of people again!​
​Thanks to the Municipality of Brighton for our new front door! The terrific new door was installed in April 2017 and improves our front entrance significantly, allowing for better security and plenty more protection from winter weather. Along with the new stoop installed last year, and the addition of better lighting, the exterior of the hall is more functional and safe for visitors, while maintaining its heritage charm.

Township Meeting Hall 1861

Hilton Hall was officially designated as a Heritage Site in 2011.
Events
November 5, 2017, 2 pm: VIMY: The Battle and the Memorial by Dan Buchanan

December 16, 2017, 2 pm: Christmas Carol Sing, featuring Ian and Sharon Graham and Friends.

March 10, 2018, 1:30 pm: Meeting of the Quinte Branch of United Empire Loyalist Association, Guest Speaker Dan Buchanan, Race Against Time
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Events Hilton Township Hall included "Time of Change" on August 11, 2013 and "The Latimer Photos" on August 18, 2013, both presented by Dan Buchanan.
On September 9, 2015, an event was held at Hilton Hall to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving Monarch.
An event called "They Went Together" was presented on November 6 and 7, 2016, on two different occasions over the weekend. This was based on a document of the same name written by John Stephens of Brighton. It is the story of two young men from Brighton who grew up as friends here, signed up to fight in the early months of the Great War and managed to survive the horrors of war and return to Brighton. Both had their own experiences, physical injuries and long-term trauma. 
The United Empire Loyalists, Quinte Branch, held their meeting at Hilton Hall Heritage Centre on March 10, 2018, with guest speaker Dan Buchanan presenting the story of "38 Hours to Montreal", a few months before the book would be available. Here is the report on that event in the UEL newsletter. 
Unfortunately, Hilton Hall Heritage Centre had a short life, largely due to the fact that Dot Connolly, who organized many of the events, was forced to move away due to health issues and passed away in 2018. The hall is still used by various groups and is maintained by the municipality for that purpose.