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Jason Rathbun/Sun Journal graphic
When it comes to tall places, there are two types of people.
Those who like staring down from above and those who prefer to stay on the ground and gaze up in wonder.
Fortunately, Maine has enough tall edifices and natural landscapes to satisfy both types.
The former might hike to the tippy top of Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park and enjoy a view, not just of a large chunk of Maine, but possibly parts of New Hampshire 170 miles away.
At 5,269 feet above sea level (11 feet shy of a mile), Katahdin represents the highest point in Maine and if you make your way up to the summit, everything below will appear ant-sized.
But looks can be deceiving. When it comes to tall stuff, Maine has plenty. If you find yourself gaping up at the top of the steeple at St. Joseph’s Church in Biddeford, it can be dizzying.
Though there are TV towers and at least one observatory that dwarf St. Joseph’s in height, at 235 feet the church is the tallest public building in the state.
Fifteen feet shorter in Lewiston, the full 220-foot height of the Agora Grand Event Center on Bates Street (formerly St. Patrick’s Church) can inspire awe. So can a view of Lewiston City Hall, which stretches 185 feet into the sky. Both buildings, as well as the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, are among the top 15 tallest buildings in Maine.
In the region — and a little bit closer to the ground — there’s the 31-foot-tall Paul Bunyan statue in Rumford that’s a joy to behold.
And some may remember the giddy excitement that developed when the 122-foot-tall snow creation named Olympia was erected in Bethel in 2008, still considered the record-holder for the world’s tallest snowperson.
OK, Maine’s tallest buildings may pale in comparison to the world’s tallest structure — the 2,717-foot-tall Burj Khalifa in Dubai. But regardless, mankind stands in awe of all tall places, perhaps because they represent something bigger than ourselves. Gazing upon a mountain or sky-scraping church, even from a distance, puts things into a new perspective — it’s hard to think of ourselves as very significant when we’re gazing upon something whose top resides in the clouds.
With that in mind, here, arranged by height, are the 12 tallest buildings in Maine (numbered) and, for context, some other towering and not-so-towering natural and manmade Maine icons and their locations. We hope you don’t get nose bleeds.
In feet:
5,269 Mount Katahdin
1,667 WMTW tower Baldwin
420 Penobscot Narrows Observatory Prospect (Tallest public bridge observatory in the world)
381 Mount David Lewiston
235 1) Saint Joseph’s Church Biddeford
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The Agora Grand Event Center, formerly St. Patrick’s Church, on Bates Street dominates the Lewiston skyline Wednesday afternoon. It is the second tallest building in the state at 220 feet. In the background is the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, another one of the state’s tallest buildings. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
220 2) Agora Grand Event Center Lewiston
204.5 3) 201 Federal apartments Portland
204 4) Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Portland
185 5) Lewiston City Hall Lewiston
185 6) Maine State House Augusta
185 7) Miller Library Colby College Waterville
175 8) Franklin Towers apartments Portland
172 9) Back Bay Tower apartments Portland
170 10) Time and Temperature office building Portland
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The Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul, right, and Lewiston City Hall dominate the skyline of Lewiston. The basilica is the 11th tallest building in the state at 168 feet. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal file photo
168 11) Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul Lewiston
150 12) Coles Tower dormitory Bowdoin College Brunswick
122 “Olympia” snowperson in Bethel in 2008 (World-record-holding tallest snowperson)
105 Tallest known eastern white pine (Maine’s official tree) Sumner
31 Paul Bunyan statue Rumford
14 World’s largest hand-crank telephone Bryant Pond
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