Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-07-13
THE CITY HALL.
4 Description Of the Building Now Dedicated
and Accepted BY the City.

Years and years ago, was the need
of more serviceable and convenient
City building painfully apparent to all
citizens. All hoped that the future
would provide something better, but
for any one to have thought that on
July Il. 1899, a magnificent edifice, the
gift of life long resident, would be
formally dedicated, it would have been
considered lightly-naught but a wild
dream of fancy.
The Old structure on Second street
was built in 1880 and was perhaps well
adapted to the uses of the time but it's
era of usefulness departed with the ad-
vent of old age. 1t seemed not eXpe-
dent nor practical for the city to auth
orize large expenditure of money for
repairs which would give only tempo
rary relief.
Two years ago. Mrs. Eliza Clark
Lowell, life long resident of Halo
well. made known to Mayor Stafford her
desire to make the city a gift of fine
City hall. Her plans were not made
public at once as it was her desire to
wait until satisfactory plans could be
procured, so that the surprise. if pos
sible, could be more complete. She
lltilltu ueE u uSlctS, MAY beoI
4. Stafford, Ben Tenney and Hon.
James II. Leigh.
1t will be remembered that some time
previous Mrs. Lowell made a gift of
$4,000 to the Hubbard Free Library,
for a wing west Of the Hubbard annex.
Her generosity occasioned widespread
comment and to say that it was appre-
ciated would be putting it lightly.
The announcement about two years
ago that the gift of $4,000 had been
made by Mrs. Lowell for the City hal!
was received with even u greater de-
gree of appreciation.
The site selected by the trustees with
the advice and consent of Mrs. Lowell
was at the northeast corner OF Win
throp and Second streets. This land
was purchased of the owner, Mr.. c. l..
Spauldng, and work was commenced
about one year ago. The plans sub
mitted by Architect j. Macarthur
Vance of Pittsfeld. We're perfectly sat
isfactory, and have been altered but
slightly since work began.
The contract for the building was let
to the Hallowell Granite Works, the
mason work being sub-let to l.. H.
Haines and the woodwork to Nathaniel
Noyes & Son of Augusta. The exte-
ror of the building was completed by
the first of December. In February
Mrs. Lowell died very suddenly. her
illness being of very short duration.
Day by day she had shown herself to
be greatly interested in the building
operations and it was source of much
regret to the trustees as well as all
others, that she had not been permitted
to see the work successfully completed.
The building, cut of which is given,
is of original design. Its architect is a
young man, but with quite a good deal
of experience. The exterior appearance,
IS well as the interior arrangement,
leaves little to be desired. AS will be seen
the building is two stories in height with
a basement. The material used is buff
brick with granite trimmings, enter
ing the main or Winthrop street en-
trance, with the marble-like granite
steps between buttreSSeS of massive
proportions, which support unique cleo
trio light standards of moulded bronze.
we come into the pretty corridor. The
finish is of cypress, the large posts,
with the deep panneling of the ceiling
and high wainscoting of the walls, all
polished to proper degree of brilliancy
making the first impression of the in
terror a good one. On the east wall of
the corridor is tablet of beautiful
Sienna marble, inscribed
1895
THIS BUILDING is THE
GIFT OF
ELIZA CLARK LOWELL
A LINEAL DESCENDANT OF
DEACON PEASE CLARK
THE FIRST SETTLER OF HALO
WE'LL.
1852.
At the right as you enter the cOrri-
dor are rooms to be occupied by the
city treasurer and the Overseers of the
poor. The rooms are high posted and
the windows are large, with plate
glass In the city treasurer's office is
large fire-proof vault. AT the end
of the corridor are the council rooms.
There are two rooms. but since the
common council has been abolished the
smaller will be used by the mayor and
the city clerk while the larger viii
amply accommodate the board of al
dermen. AT the left of the main en-
trance is a large office for the use Of
the school board. The furniture in all
of the rooms is first-class heavy pol
ished oak. The offices have been pro-
vided with roll-top desks and comfort