For some time, there had been agitation to secure property for a borough hall site. The borough had been renting administrative and meeting space (not to mention additional space for the police department and the Glen Rock jail) in the Smith-Singer Building at the corner of Rock Road and Main Street but now that the population was beginning to increase at a quicker pace, there was an increased call for an actual dedicated borough hall. Several sites were considered; however, the most popular option was the 4.82-acre Manson property (today’s Harding Plaza). This property was centrally located and easily accessible to most residents, and it was for sale in early 1918. As always, the purchase question revolved around costs and affordability and the discussion was going nowhere until Dennis Kennelly, who lived at 625 South Maple Avenue, offered to purchase the property and hold it until the Mayor and Council decided to move forward. Borough purchase of the Manson-Kennelly property was approved by the voters in November 1918 by a vote of 183 yea to 100 nay and Mr. Kennelly, true to his word, sold the land to the borough for the same price he had paid ($3,000) plus interest from the date of his purchase. The wording on the ballot advised that the purchased land would be used for a Municipal Building Site and a Park. 

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It would take until 1926 before movement was made to actually construct the Municipal Building, to be designed by local architect Clarence Tabor, Jr. Mr. Tabor was finally able to report the completion of his stately Georgian Style Municipal Building to the Mayor and Council in August 1929. The new building included administration offices, meeting rooms, the GRPD and the Glen Rock Public Library. Tabor also designed a matching train station building on the Short Cut Line to stand facing the Municipal building, but these plans (which are in the GRHPS map collection) were never realized – most likely because of the Great Depression.