When the city of Lewiston lost its city hall to a fire in 1890, it quickly got to work on a new building, one which they felt would be suited to its stature as an important industrial and manufacturing centre. Lewiston had, by the 1890s, become the seventh largest manufacturing centre in New England and the city was desirous of a city hall commensurate with its standing in the economic world. In truth, Lewiston had just lost an even grander building in the 1890 fire. "L" shaped in plan, the original city hall was 165 by 180 feet with a spire rising 200 feet above ground level. The building had 80 rooms and included the police department and prison in the basement with the library and post office on the main floor, while its main gallery could seat 2,272.
Nonetheless, we suspect that the City of Lewiston was not disappointed with its new municipal building, designed by Boston architect, John Calvin Spofford. The cornerstone for the building was laid on October 1, 1890 and the building's dedication took place a little over a year and a half later, on May 19, 1892. Standing the equivalent of five stories in height, the ground floor of the impressive Baroque Revival building is clad in granite, while the upper floors are finished in brick with red stone trim.
Above the main entrance is a massive bell tower with clock faces in each side and a copper domed steeple which rises another five stories above the building proper to a total height of 185 feet.