Construction crews renovating the historic Bowdoinham Town Hall are on track to complete the project by the end of summer.

The total cost of the updates has slightly exceeded $1 million, with a significant portion attributed to the high costs of construction work, according to Bowdoinham Town Manager Nicole Briand. However, the cost remains below the $1.4 million projected by Preservation Timber Framing Inc., making it below the estimated budget. Bowdoinham approved the use of Central Maine Power tax increment financing (TIF) funds for the updates to the Town Hall.

The Bowdoinham Town Hall renovations are scheduled for completion in September 2025. Once completed, the building will reopen to the public, hosting events such as pop-up art galleries and shows. Bowdoinham has updated the Town Hall with modern electrical components and heating systems while maintaining the building’s original appearance.

“Before work started, the building was in a sad state, and we had shut it down due to the foundation,” Briand said. “We had to do substantial work to get a good foundation under the building.”

Last fall, the building was lifted and placed on a new foundation, replacing the old structure with new flooring and subflooring inside the building. The flooring portion of the renovation is expected to be completed by next month, with RH Construction LLC handling the majority of the renovation work.

Briand said the roof was replaced last month, and crews are now replacing the siding. Once outside work is complete, the construction crews will move into the building to perform structural work in the attic.

“It’s good to see the building looking refreshed and kind of exciting to be able to get back in it and see it being used,” Briand said.

The oil furnace in the building is in the process of being replaced with a heat pump system.

The Bowdoinham Town Hall was built in 1823. The last major renovation was in the 1990s, when the structure’s tower was repaired.