AUBURN — Bill Hamilton has been trying for 35 years to get the perfect photo of the sun rising behind the spires of the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul on Ash Street in Lewiston. It’s a phenomenon that only lines up twice a year.
Hamilton bought his house on Goff Hill 46 years ago with his wife, Fran, who passed away almost two years ago. They raised three children and welcomed four grandchildren.
They bought the home for the view, saying it was through a real estate agent driving a Mercedes and sporting a tuxedo and tasseled shoes.
“The only thing that was appealing was the view,” Hamilton said. “On the outside it was a nice old house. On the inside. It was a disaster.”
But the view was worth all of the “time and dollars” the couple spent on renovating the 1840 house.
“One day I was here and the sun came up,” he said. “It was almost behind the church. It became special and I’ve been racing that sun, every year since.”
Hamilton, an architect, works on a variety of artistic endeavors from his home office and shop.
“One of the nicest things about being in the world of art, we don’t have to worry about what we’re going to do, we just worry about if we’ll ever have time to do it,” he said.
Photography has always been one of his passions, and he kept a working darkroom in his home for many years.
“If you could take one good photograph a day, you’re doing pretty well,” he said.
This year, everything lined up perfectly, the sky was clear, and the temperature was not too chilly to get the shot he’s been trying to get for decades.
As the sun came up he narrated the experience for his audience of one, in real time: “Getting ready. Get ready. We’re on the homestretch now. The crowds are shouting! There it is!”
The sun peeked up over the roof of the Basilica and, as promised, moved through the spires of the landmark that dominates the city skyline.
“This is the best weather today,” he said. “It’s comfortable. The hardest time is the spring because there’s less sun and less perfect weather.”
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