📰BIDDEFORD | Clock Tower Receives Maine Preservation Honor Award
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
By Danica Lamontagne, Contributing Writer
April 20, 2026, We are pleased to share that the City Hall Clock Tower has received an Honor Award from Maine Preservation.
Biddeford's original city hall was lost to a catastrophic fire on New Years Day in 1895 Architect John Calvin Stevens was commissioned to design its replacement. Using primarily brick and granite, Stevens executed the building in the Renaissance Revival stvle. The 135-foot clock tower (pictured below) was outfitted with a cast bronze bell from the Black Bell Foundry Co. of Boston, while the gilded copper dome shined over the city.
Over time, cosmetic repairs of the clock tower were prioritized over substantive maintenance. and weathering and water intrusion left the tower in severe disrepair. In 2020, Biddeford voters approved a bond to support repairs to the clock tower and other city facilities, allowing this restoration project to be completed in 2024.
Artifex Architects & Engineers brought their preservation expertise to the project, with Colby Company serving as project engineer and Ducas Construction as the construction manager. The project scope stretched from the street to the sky and relied on the original blueprints. Gorham-based carpenter Tim Hill rebuilt the Main Street storefronts, and historically accurate wood windows were returned to the tower. Composite replicas of the capitals, pilasters, trim, and balustrades were chosen near the top of the tower.
Phil Radding (pictured below), the City of Biddeford’s longtime Director of Facilities, came out of retirement to serve as the project manager. Radding had closely monitored the building for over a decade and continuously sought community buy-in and funding for this project.
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