Former Otisfield Town House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Otisfield Town House (Former)
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 53 Bell Hill Rd., Otisfield, Maine |
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| Area | 0.2 acres (0.081 ha) |
| Built | 1905 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 05000055 |
| Added to NRHP | February 15, 2005 |
The Former Otisfield Town House is an old building in Otisfield, Maine. It used to be the main place where the town's government met. This building was finished in 1905. It replaced a much older building from the 1790s.
It looks a lot like other town halls built in Maine during the mid-1800s. The building served as the town hall until 1985. It was also used as a place for people to vote until 2002. Because of its history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
Contents
What Does the Old Town House Look Like?
The Former Otisfield Town House is a single-story building. It is made of wood and has a pointed roof at the front. There is a small porch at the main entrance.
The Front of the Building
The front of the building faces west. It has three sections. The main door is in the middle, with windows on each side. The porch over the door has a triangular top. This top rests on simple supports. These supports are square posts with cool cut-out designs.
Above the main door, in the pointed part of the roof, are two narrower windows. The building is quite long, with four sections deep. It also has two small additions at the back.
Inside the Town House
The inside of the main part of the town house is one big room. At the back, there are doors leading to two small additions. One addition holds simple restrooms. The other, a brick structure, holds a strong safe called a vault.
The walls and ceiling inside are made of shiny pine wood. The floor is made of fir wood. The lower part of the walls has wood panels placed vertically. Above a special rail, the wood panels are placed horizontally.
There is a low fence inside that separated an area for voting booths. Near the vault door, there is a raised platform. This platform was where the town's leaders, called selectmen, sat.
Modern Updates to the Building
The building got electricity in 1937. It still has its original light fixtures from that time. The strong vault was added in 1935. It was made by a company called Herring-Hall-Marvin Safe Company from Cincinnati, Ohio.
History of Otisfield's Town Hall
Otisfield's very first town hall was built around 1795. It was like a colonial meeting house. This meant it was used for both church services and town meetings.
A New Meeting Place
In 1838, the local church built a new meetinghouse for its services. Instead of building a new town hall, the town moved the old meeting house a short distance down the hill. This old building then became the town's main civic building.
The New Town House is Built
By the early 1900s, the old building was getting very worn out. So, the town decided to build a brand new structure. This new building, the Former Otisfield Town House, was built in 1905 on the same spot as the old one.
The new town house was not just for town business. People could also rent it for private events. It hosted Otisfield's important town meetings until 1985. It continued to be used as a place for people to vote until 2002.
