At the turn of the century, Rumford was a hub for western Maine. The mill, which opened in the late 1890s, attracted workers — citizens and immigrants alike — to the town on the Androscoggin River. Because of the influx, Rumford’s traditional meeting place in Rumford Center eventually became too small to house the annual town meeting.
To accommodate the growth, Rumford Town Hall was built in 1916.
The colonial revival-style building was designed by Harry S. Coombs and constructed in 16 months by P.F. Moreau of Auburn. The hall boasts original curly birch, curly maple and cherry woodwork throughout its two-and-a-half stories.
The auditorium on the topmost floor was the site of many events in town, including high school graduations, boxing matches and a visit by former President William Howard Taft, who spoke there in 1917. Now, the auditorium is home to city council meetings and historical exhibits.
Rumford Town Hall was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in the 1980s.
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- The auditorium on the topmost floor of the Rumford municipal building was built to hold 1,600 people for town meetings, lectures and operas.
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- Rumford Town Hall is home to the District Court, Clerk’s Office, Town Manager’s Office, Historical Society and the Rumford Police.
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- The plaque on a relief map showcased in the auditorium of the Rumford Town Hall reads, “This relief map was made for Mr. Hugh J. Chisholm in 1884 by J. Herbert Shedd, consulting engineer, and used to promote the initial development of Rumford, Maine.” Chisholm was the founder of the Rumford Falls Paper Company and a handful of other important local industries.
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- The cost to build the colonial revival-style town hall in Rumford is estimated to have been between $70,000 and $100,000 at the time.
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- A bust of Hugh J. Chisholm stands near the entry of the Rumford Town Hall. Chisholm founded the paper mill, electric company, railroad and a host of other businesses significant to Rumford and the state of Maine.
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- A detail of the woodwork in the auditorium.
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- Historical photos of Rumford line the walls in the auditorium, like this one of the Town Hall shortly after it was built.
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- Behind the stage of the auditorium are unused offices and the stairs to the balcony section of seats.
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- The original woodwork of curly maple, birch and cherry still welcome patrons of the Rumford Town Hall, however some updates were made to the building in the 1980s to bring the building up to modern safety and accessibility standards.
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- A fire extinguisher is showcased like a piece of art by the woodwork surrounding it behind the stage in the auditorium of the Rumford Town Hall.
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- A photo, date unknown, of downtown Rumford hangs in the auditorium of the municipal building.
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- The Androscoggin River was a major highway for the movement of logs to the paper mill in Rumford, as seen in this historical photo in the auditorium in the municipal building.
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- Built in 1916, the Rumford Town Hall was designed by well-known Maine architect Henry S. Coombs. Coombs also designed the Webster Grammar School in Auburn, the second Callahan Block in Lewiston and numerous other historical buildings in Maine.
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- The ticket booth remains, although the auditorium in the Rumford Town Hall is now used only for City Council meetings.
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