Portland City Hall - Portland, ME
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 43° 39.551 W 070° 15.436
19T E 398624 N 4834788
The Portland City Hall is a stone structure in the center of the city designed by the famous architectural firm of Carrere and Hastings of New York and, in addition to the city and county offices, it has a 3,000 seat auditorium.
Waymark Code: WM7AH1
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 09/27/2009
Views: 18
On Congress Street at the intersection with Exchanged Street is a stone building with an ornate weathervane that is the Portland City Hall. There is a stone and concrete plaza with stairs to the front entrance with two wings that enclose it on the ends.
The building was built in 1909-1912 to replace the city hall that burned down on the same location, which burned down in 1908. The architectural firm of Carrere and Hastings is best known for their design of the New York Public Library designed this building. The firm of Stevens and Stevens of Portland, Maine, is also mentioned. The complex includes both offices and a 3,000-seat auditorium, which included the Kozschmar organ, one of the largest organs in the world at the time it was built. The city hall was listed on the register in 1973.
Around 2006, the city hall went through several renovations, including the bell and clock tower. The auditorium has also gone through renovations to improve the facilities for performances and concerts. In 1981, the Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ took over care of the organ as the city of Portland could no longer support it.
There are self-guided tours on the Greater Portlands Landmarks web site. The url is provided as the secondary web site.
Other Source:
American Guide Series: Maine: A Guide 'Down East':
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visit link)
Sun-Journal Article on the Clock:
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visit link)
Friends of the Kozschmar Organ:
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visit link)