Chris, Linda and Richard Balzer of Balzer Family Clockworks remove the clock from the Biddeford City Hall Clock Tower. SUBMITTED PHOTO
BIDDEFORD — The clock in the clock tower at Biddeford City Hall is expected to once again tell time in October, thanks to a project that is underway to restore the clock.
City Hall, at 205 Main St., was built in 1895 by architect John Calvin Stevens and is listed on the National Historic Register.
One of the building’s notable features is the clock tower that sits atop the structure.
Over the years, the tower has gone into disrepair and is in need of about $2 million of improvements. The clock stopped ticking several years ago, the weather vane and gold dome on top of the tower need repair and or replacement, wood work must be replaced and bricks must be reappointed.
In 2014, the clock tower made Maine Preservation’s annual list of “Most Endangered Historic Properties.”
Voters rejected bonds to restore the tower in 2007, 2012 and 2015. However, to those who wish to preserve the tower, a glimmer of hope came last year in the form of a grant from Partners for Preservation, a project of American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Heart of Biddeford received $150,000 to be used toward clock tower repair from Partners of Preservation.
Though that is not nearly enough to complete the clock tower repair, the money is being used to restore the clock itself so though the tower will still needs repairs, the timepiece will function once again.
In January, the City Council approved the use of nearly $87,000 of the grant funding for Balzer Family Clock Works to restore the clock back to working order.
Balzer Family Clock Works removed the E. Howard & Co. clock from Biddeford City Hall on March 28, according to a press release from the City of Biddeford.
The clock is expected to be reinstalled in working order by October, said Facilities Manager Phil Radding in a phone interview on Tuesday. After that is completed, he anticipates grant money will be used to make repairs to wood work around the clock.
Balzer Family Clock Works of Freeport has specialized in tower clock restoration since 1985.
“The Balzers have vast experience in the restoration of tower clocks and have restored clocks worldwide,” said Radding.
The clock was originally installed in the tower in the early 1900s as a weight-driven, pendulum-regulated and completely mechanical operating timepiece, according to the press release. Around the 1960s some of the mechanical components were removed and replaced with electronic parts. It’s been about five years since the clock worked, said Radding.
The restoration project will restore the clock back to its being a weight-driven, pendulum-regulated device, though there will be an automatic winder, eliminating the need to periodically wind the clock manually, said Radding.
Many of the original mechanical components, including the pulleys, weights, and pendulum bob, are now missing and must be replaced.
“After all the hard work this whole community put in to winning the $150,000 grant, it is so exciting to see this work beginning,” said Heart of Biddeford Director Delilah Poupore. “Each step restores a bit more of Biddeford’s history and sense of place.”
A video of the removal of the clock mechanisms for repair can be viewed at the City Government Biddeford Maine Facebook page.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be reached at 780-9015 or by email at egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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