Ellsworth's City Hall was built in 1934-35 after the devastating 1933 fire destroyed the earlier seat of government and much of the downtown. Architect and area summer resident Edmund Gilchrist Jr. of Philadelphia designed both the City Hall building and a depiction of the state seal for the front pediment. The hand-carved wooden seal is 18 feet long and contains 13 pieces, though the artist is unknown. The seal was extensively restored in 1999, including fresh gold leaf. The First Congregational Church of Ellsworth, a Greek Revival building dedicated in 1846, was designed and built by master builder Thomas Lord of Blue Hill, Maine, on land donated by Col. Melatiah Jordan, and it is the second church built on this site. Both buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.