BDN article: Portland’s ‘other’ city hall is complete with jail cells and secret rooms

From the Bangor Daily New - by Troy R. Bennett

PORTLAND, Maine  — Independent Order of Odd Fellows Fraternity Lodge #6 Vice Grand Joel Demers untied the tangled knot of white rope wrapped around the wooden newel post in a tiny back staircase on Thursday.

Demers then let out some slack, hand over hand.

The cord creaked through a series of pulleys embedded in the ceiling over the stairs as a wooden drawbridge groaned into place. The hinged structure spanned the gap between the stairwell landing, leading to a secretive door just big enough for an average-sized person to sneak through. READ ON