Time and Temperature Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Time and Temperature Building |
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The building viewed from Center Street in Portland
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| Former names | Chapman Building |
| General information | |
| Type | High-rise building |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Location | Portland, Maine, United States |
| Address | 477 Congress Street |
| Coordinates | 43°39′26″N 70°15′36″W / 43.6571°N 70.2599°W |
| Completed | 1924 |
| Renovated | 1996 |
| Owner | TT Maine Venture LLC |
| Height | 184 ft (56 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 14 |
| Lifts/elevators | 3 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Herbert W. Rhodes |
The Time and Temperature Building is a famous office building in downtown Portland, Maine. It has fourteen stories and stands tall at 477 Congress Street. People often call it the "Time and Temperature Building" because of a special sign on its roof. This sign shows the local time and temperature for everyone to see.
The building was first built in 1924. Back then, it had twelve stories. It even had Maine's very first indoor shopping center on its ground floor! For many years, this building and the nearby Fidelity Trust Tower were Portland's only skyscrapers. Because it's so tall, you can see it from far away, even from Peaks Island across the harbor. It's a well-known landmark that helps people find their way around Portland.
Besides offices, the building is home to radio stations like WTHT (99.9), WHXR (106.3), and WFNK (107.5). These stations are part of Binnie Media.
The Famous Time and Temperature Sign
The special time and temperature sign was added to the building in 1964. In the 1970s, the Portland Savings Bank held a fun contest. People tried to guess when the sign would first show a temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) in the summer.
Maine has a law that usually stops flashing signs from being seen from state highways. But in 1991, the Maine Legislature made a special rule for this building. This rule allowed the Time and Temperature building to use its sign for advertising. This helped cover the costs of running the sign.
A new sign was put up in 1999. This newer sign not only shows the time and temperature, but it can also display short messages. These messages have two lines, with four characters on each line. For example, it has shown "WMTW NEWS" for a TV station that used to be in the building. It also showed "CALL JOE" for a lawyer. When there's a big snowstorm, the sign flashes "PARK BAN." This reminds people not to park on the street during a snow emergency.
In 2010, the sign stopped working for a while. About sixty people called the building's owners because they were worried! This shows how important the sign is to the community.
Building History and Changes
The Time and Temperature Building was first called the Chapman Building. It was designed by a local architect named Herbert W. Rhodes. He also designed another famous building nearby, The Eastland hotel.
In 1964, Casco Bank owned the building. They added two more stories to it. This is also when they put the flashing time and temperature sign on the roof. The new parts didn't quite match the original building at first. But in the 1980s, a big renovation helped make the new parts fit better with the older design.
In 1995, a kind millionaire named Elizabeth Noyce bought the building through her Libra Foundation. They finished renovations in 1996. The new time and temperature sign was installed in 1999. Over the years, the building changed owners a few times. By 2016, fewer people were renting offices there because it needed more care. The building faced some financial challenges and changed hands again. In October 2018, TT Maine Venture bought the building for $9.3 million.
See also
In Spanish: Time and Temperature Building para niños
