Bellingham’s original Town Common occupied the green where the Bellingham Police Department now stands. Around 1898, the town’s lock-up facility, erected in 1875, stood at the center, and the two-room Massey School House, built in 1873, stood to the right. During the 1800's, this town center was used for many outdoor activities. The local militia drilled on the Common until 1847, and after a bandstand was built in 1871, the green hosted concerts, Memorial Day observances, and Grange fairs. Bellingham’s first Town Common ended in 1965 with construction of the Bellingham Police/Fire Facility, and in 1991 that building was renovated into the Bellingham Police Station.