The blueprints for the 2 1/2-story American Fork City Hall were drawn up by James Pulley, for which he charged $50. The building measures 50 feet by 50 feet. The east and west sides are identical, framed by Romanesque arches. The foundation is made of limestone, and the walls are masonry, faced in red brick. When it was first built, the hip roof sported a belfry with Queen Anne trimmings.

Beginning in 1916, the building was painted white. It was sandblasted in 1977, which restored its original color but also removed a portion of the brick, leaving it open to more rapid weathering. At that time, too, mortar was repaired with caulking.

In 1959, the belfry was removed. Some say it had to go so air conditioning could be installed. Roberts says another reason the belfry may have been removed is that belfries are heavy and the roof may have been starting to sag. Interior remodelings in 1959 and 1977 further obscured the original features. Several original doors and windows were removed. Other windows were covered or painted shut.

Still, the City Hall is structurally sound for a building of its period, Roberts adds. When the restoration began, he found no cracks in the walls or foundations. The original stairs were still in good condition, as were the newel posts. The majority of the original windows were still in place.

This restoration includes seismic upgrades, a renovated secondary staircase and a new roof, designed to support the belfry. The 1977 caulking has been replaced with limestone mortar. Windows have been restored. The restoration has resulted in a building that is 467 percent better insulated, according to the architects.

Contractors took down the false ceilings and discovered that much of the original tin ceiling was still in place. They discovered patches of the original paint, in dark Victorian gold and black, and they found a deep green, as well — probably from the '20s, Belmont speculates. The bell tower's original tin finial was found in the attic, and carpenters used it to design a replica.

Roberts believes people will say "wow" when they first walk into the upper floor. For as long as anyone can remember, the square second floor was divided into tiny offices with low ceilings. Now it is one big room again, with more than 20 tall windows and with bead board and millworked moldings and other pretty details.

The City Council will meet in this room, which can hold at least 100 people. The space will also be used for small concerts and receptions. In addition, the American Fork Arts Council, which will have offices on the first floor, will use the second floor for classes.

Belmont can't help but think everyone who stands in this sunny, high-ceilinged space will hear a whisper from the past. If they don't, there is always the bell. If they hear nothing else, people will hear the bell.

When the belfry was taken down, the Daughters of Utah Pioneers were given the bell, and they placed it in a park. Under their bylaws, Belmont says, they can't give the bell back to the city, but they can allow it to be placed in a new location. Thus in a week or so, the newly constructed replica of the belfry will go atop the City Hall, and the old bell will be placed inside and will ring once again.

A new generation will mark its days with that bell, just as Belmont's mother's generation did. Belmont says her mother, Lois Peters Andersen, told of listening for the bell every morning as she walked to school. If the bell rang before she got to the river, she knew she'd be late.

Belmont's mother passed away this June. So Belmont is especially glad today's schoolchildren will be able to know the City Hall and its bell and its charm. She will think of her mother on the day City Hall reopens — new again, after 103 years.

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Sources: Utah History Encyclopedia

E-mail: susan@desnews.com