18th-century document trips up plans for Connecticut green

(AP) — The mile-long town green here seems little changed from the days when French troops camped on it during the Revolutionary War.

The green is a center of community life for Lebanon, but the town doesn't actually own it, according to records that include a court document dating to 1705.

The arrangement has helped keep away the kind of development that has swallowed up town greens around New England, but in Lebanon the lack of a deed for the town is creating an issue for officials hoping to expand the local library.

Numerous historical buildings, now tourist attractions, line the green.