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 Ellsworth City Hall - Ellsworth, ME Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 44° 32.549 W 068° 25.449
19T E 545745 N 4932289
Surrounded by other National Register buildings, Ellsworth's City Hall stands on a hill above the town's business district. Ellsworth is the seat of Hancock County, with the courthouse situated just west of city hall.
Waymark Code: WMQ8M9
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 01/10/2016
Views: 2
Directly across Church Street from the large and impressive Greek Revival First Congregational Church, Ellsworth's City Hall was built with its best side facing away from the street. The centre gable end of the parking lot side of the building is decorated with an elaborate gold rendition of the town seal. Above, the building was designed with a very nice octagonal cupola with a domed roof topped by a gold finial and weathervane.
A design of Philadelphia architect Esmond Gilchrist, the city hall was begun in September of 1934 and completed in April of 1935. On May 7, 1933, Ellsworth suffered a major fire which destroyed at least half of the commercial district, including the city hall. As a result this replacement was built with much consideration to fire prevention and suppression. This is the major reason that the building was designed with a minimum of interior decoration.
Oliver Ellsworth
Ellsworth was incorporated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1800 and was named in honor of a prominent statesman by the name of Oliver Ellsworth, who among many other accolades, was a delegate to the 1787 Constitutional Convention.
Although he was not born or raised in Ellsworth, and indeed never seems to have stepped foot in Ellsworth, Oliver Ellsworth proved an honorable namesake for our city. He was born in Windsor, Connecticut in 1745, graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton) in 1766, was admitted to the bar in 1771 and practiced until 1773 when he became a member of the Connecticut General Assembly. In 1777 he was appointed State Attorney and was also chosen as one of Connecticut's representatives to the Continental Congress, serving until 1786. During the revolution he helped supervise Connecticut’s war expenditures and in 1779 became a member of the Council of Safety.
Ellsworth was named a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 where he made significant contributions to the Great Compromise, which established our national legislative branch of government. It was Oliver Ellsworth who proposed, as an amendment to a resolution, that the word "national" be changed to "United States" which was the phrase used from that point on during the convention to designate the government. He also served on the Committee of Five who prepared the first draft of the Constitution (although he did not sign the final document as he had returned to Connecticut to advocate its ratification).
He became one of Connecticut’s first two senators to the United States Congress, was chair of the committee that framed the bill organizing the federal judiciary system, was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in 1796 and in order to negotiate a treaty, was named commissioner to France in 1799. He then served once more as a member of the Governor’s Council from 1801 until his death in 1807.
From the City of Ellsworth Ellsworth City Hall
The Ellsworth City Hall is architecturally significant as a variation of Georgian Revival design uncommon to Maine. Designed by Philadelphia architect Esmond Gilchrist, the building's exterior reflects more of the designer's native region than any New England prototypes. This distinctive landmark maintains a commanding location in Ellsworth's downtown and symbolizes the city's reconstruction after a devastating 1933 fire.
On May 7, 1933, a fire destroyed half of the Ellsworth commercial district. Also lost in the conflagration was the City Hall. Edmund Gilchrist, the architect ultimately chosen for the new municipal building, was familiar with the area through his summer visits to nearby Mt. Desert. The architect also proposed designs for the entire rebuilt area. Although not carried out, this large scale scheme probably influenced the design and siting of the City Hall, which is located at the head of Franklin Street overlooking the new commercial district.
Gilchrist's specialty was residential design, including large suburban estates. This work demonstrates his affinity for eighteenth century American architecture. Especially outstanding is the delicately-scaled cupola, which ties together the two disparate elevations and provides a unified design.
The building was begun in September, 1934 and completed in April, 1935.
From the NRHP Nomination Form
Street address:
1 City Hall Plaza
Ellsworth, ME USA
04605
County / Borough / Parish: Hancock
Year listed: 1986
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture
Periods of significance: 1925-1949
Historic function: Government - City Hall
Current function: Government - City Hall
Privately owned?: no
Season start / Season finish: From: 01/01/2016 To: 12/31/2016
Hours of operation: From: 9:00 AM To: 5:00 PM
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 2: [Web Link]
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.
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