The public got its first official look at the newly built Wagram Town Hall Thursday night.

More than 30 people, including local, state and federal officials took part in the open house for the $300,000 facility.

"We (town of Wagram) raised $100,000 over the years to put down on the building and the USDA provided the rest for us," Mayor Milton Farmer said."It has been a five year project and we are proud to have a facility like this."

Randall Gore, USDA Rural Development State Director and Travis Manigan, Casework for U. S. Congressman Kissell joined the Town of Wagram as they celebrated the completion of the Municipal Building.

The five-year project was helped in part by a low-interest loan from USDA Rural Development.

“I want to commend the town of Wagram leaders for their hard work in helping to make this municipal building a reality." said Gore. "The USDA Rural Development is proud to be able to participate in this project.”

Former Mayor of Wagram Dr. Johnie Gorham said that the new facility is a plus for Wagram.

"We have been trying to get something like this for a long time and we are certainly proud of this facility," he said.

Wagram Commissioner Hyder Massey Jr. said the open house of the new Town Hall meant that people can come together as a community and be able to pay their light bill in a nice facility.

"It's a great day for us to bring the community together," he said. "We have been working on it for a long time and it's a pleasure for us to have people to be able to come in and pay their water bill in a nice facility and have the staff work in a nice environment."

With the new building the Wagram Commissioners now have a place where they can have their meetings.

The police department also has a suite in the facility. There is also space for collections, clerk’s office, meeting hall and commissioner’s room. It serves a population of over 1,400 citizens.

"We have a new Commissioners chamber, we had a store front commissioners chamber and just came out of the old jail so I feel like this is a great place for Wagram," he said. "We have meeting rooms in case the general public want to come in and have small meetings...We have the Police department and we finally have a Mayor's office so it is a plus for us.

Commissioner Bernice Gorham said the new facility is something the Wagram residents can be proud of.

"We are proud of this facility," she said. "We are going to try to meet the residents needs with this new Town Hall and do whatever we can to help the public."

The commissioners plan on adding an activity center for the children and senior citizens of Wagram, according to Gorham.

"We are planning on adding an activity center for the residents of Wagram," she said, "It will right next door to the Town Hall and we have plans for it already."

Rep. Garland Pierce, a Wagram resident, spoke at the meeting.

"I think we all have a sense of pride today, it's wonderful that we can come to a nice place and pay our water bills," Rep. Garland Pierce said. "We have a great group of people who understand the importance of moving forward and working hard.

"It's wonderful times in our community and I'm proud to be a resident of Wagram," he said joyfully. "The best is yet to come and we are not through and it's a good thing and there is still more things to do as far as growing."

"We appreciate what is going on in Wagram," Manigan said. "We appreciate how the residents of Wagram came together to make this happen.

"It is a very important lesson in community and you can come together and make something like this happen," he said. "We would also like the appreciate the juncture that the city had with the federal government and how local government came together to make this happen."

Scotland County County board Chairman J.D. Willis talked on behalf the of board.

"On behalf of the Scotland County Commissioners, we are very happy to see this facility come to life," Willis said. "We wish nothing but the best and we look for a lot out of Wagram in the future."