Otisfield Historical Society considers possibilities for hall

The 1905 former Town Hall on Bell Hill Road in Otisfield still has the original voting booths inside.

OTISFIELD — Historical Society members are making no grandiose promises, but if town meeting voters release the former Town Hall to them, they are promising to maintain the building.
"We're only promising that we will maintain it as it is," society President Henry Hamilton said of the 1905 building on Bell Hill Road. The building still has the original oak woodwork, chairs, voting booths and what Hamilton called a "glorious" unusable ornate safe.
Voters at Saturday's annual town meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. in the Otisfield Community School, are being asked to convey ownership of the building and land to the Otisfield Historical Society, but lack of money prohibits any major renovation at this time, Hamilton said.
The Board of Selectmen will recommend favorable action on the article, said Selectman Chairman Hal Ferguson, who is seeking re-election at Saturday's town meeting.
Ferguson said if the society does not maintain the property it will revert back to the town's ownership. "It's unfortunate it's deteriorating the way it is," he said.
By taking ownership of the building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, Hamilton said it will be easier to seek out money, which he admits is hard to come by and often requires a 50 percent match.
"We would like to do a sensitive rehabilitation and keep it as much original as possible. But when we take it over we have to raise funds," he said.
If the society is able to raise any money, the first move will be to put a basement under the building. "Then it becomes stable enough to do something about the porch," he said of the wooden stairs and portal wood that is soft from water damage.
Hamilton said a study several years ago showed there are major problems with the pilings. "They do a different dance to the frost," he said of the damage that has started to separate the beautiful portal from the main building.
Eventually, the society would like to put an addition that blends historically, onto the back of the building. The addition would not only provide a second egress to the building, but a place for a bathroom and staircase to the basement.
The project would require electrical work, digging a well and other major changes. "It's a very long-term plan," he said.
The end result is to make it a functional building. "Right now it can't be used," he said.
Once renovated, the building would provide a place for the town's archives and be usable by organizations for meetings and other functions.
"This is our dream," Hamilton said.
ldixon@sunjournal.com