Biddeford City Hall
Building Tour
John Calvin Steven’s Floor Plans
Presented by: Renee O’Neil 02/02/2024
Original City Hall Building 1860
Biddeford became a city in 1855. The city government met in the Somes Building on Washington and Main Streets. When the Central Block burned down in 1858, it had been the largest wooden building north of Boston. It contained Beethoven Hall, several store fronts, and the Union and Journal newspapers. In 1860, the city decided to rebuild in order to replace the lost businesses and gain a home of its own. It bought the land on the corner of Main and South Streets and erected a Napoleon III-style building complete with a mansard roof and an Opera House. This building burned down to the first floor in 1895. Architect John Calvin Stevens saved the first floor to cut costs and he greatly improved the utility and the appearance of the impressive building.
Excerpt- 2006 by The Museum in the Streets®. (Marker Number 17.) Maine Memory Network
Original City Hall Building 1860
Photos- McArthur Library
Clock Tower later added circa 1888
Depicted are the remnants of the Biddeford City Building after it caught flame on January 1st, 1895. The fire had started fresh into the new year at 12:55 a.m. Due to the close proximity, multiple other buildings were damaged in the fire including First National Bank, the City Opera House and the Biddeford Police Station. Firefighters were criticized for the amount of water they had used to extinguish the blaze. The temperature was so cold that all of the water used turned to ice, completely freezing the power-lines and the sidewalk. Luckily, all of the vaults inside the various buildings were safe from the fire, thus saving various important banking, criminal and city documents.
Excerpt- Maine Memory Network
Original City Hall Building
post fire 1/1/1895
The ruins of the City Building fire were devastating to behold. The first alarm regarding the blaze rang out at 12:55 AM on New Years Day, 1895. Originating in the bathroom of the City Building, firefighters quickly extinguished the initial fire. However, the smoke inside of the building did not cease. Flames were seen shooting across the ceiling of the Biddeford Police Station. Firemen were unaware that the original flames had been crawling inside of the walls of the bathroom. Almost all of the buildings adjacent to the City Building were left in ruins by the time the fire was considered “All Out” at 6 AM. Losses included the Biddeford Police Department, all of the offices of the City Building, the City Opera House, the bell tower that stood about the council chamber, First National Bank and a number of small businesses and apartments. Luckily, the heavy snow fall on top of the roofs of the buildings ensured that the flames did not spread all the way across Main and Adams Street.
During the early morning firefighting, the temperature was six degrees below zero Fahrenheit. All of the ice that accumulated came from the water used to put the fire out. The massive walls of ice completely encased the electrical pole outside of the City Building, wrapping and shattering the power lines in the process. While the total losses totaled close to $7 million in today's dollars, none of the vaults inside the City Building and First National Bank were damaged, saving thousands of city and banking records.
Bideford History & Heritage Project /Item 99424 info McArthur Public Library
City Hall �rebuilt 1895
This picture was taken October 14,1909 while the building was decorated for the Merchants Carnival. One feature of the carnival was the visit of the Governor of Maine, Bert M. Fernald, for whom a parade was staged. There were only 8 automobiles in that parade, nearly all the automobiles then owned in Biddeford.
Excerpt- Maine Memory Network
Note the dark color of the clock tower and frieze work. Originally both were brick red in color.
Testing Fire Engine 1909
Biddeford had just purchased it's third steam fire engine, and it was tested on the day of delivery by putting a stream of water over the City Building. This engine #3 is now in a museum in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Excerpt- Maine Memory Network
Original(1895)Drawings- John Calvin Stevens
During a sixty-year period from 1880 to 1940, John Calvin Stevens designed or altered more than three hundred domestic, religious, public, commercial, and industrial structures on the Portland peninsula and another one hundred in the Deering area. He also worked throughout Maine and received commissions from other parts of the country.
Excerpt- Maine Memory Network
Ground Floor 1895
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J
City Theater Basement
Main Street
Adams Street
Photo: Maine Memory Network
Entrance Theater
First Floor 1895
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D
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B
F
E
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City Theater Stage
Photo: Maine Memory Network
Second Floor 1895 (option1)
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City Theater Balcony
Photo: Maine Memory Network
Option 1 was amended.
The next slide depicts the corrected version that was used as the desired floor plan for the second floor.
Corrected Second Floor 1895
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C
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E
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F
Photo: Maine Memory Network
Third Floor 1895
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B
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D
Photo: Maine Memory Network
Adams Street view 1895
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B
A
Photo: Maine Memory Network
Main Street view 1895
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H
Photo: Maine Memory Network
Back Entrance view 1895
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B
A
Photo: Maine Memory Network
Clock Tower
Photo: Maine Memory Network
Structural Bracing- details
A. Clock Face
A
Appendix�Credits
Maine Memory Network
McArthur Library
Maine Historical Society
Biddeford History & Heritage Project
City of Biddeford