When I was planning our New England vacation, I came across a picture of a public library at Essex, Massachusetts. It was a lovely structure, and I decided it merited a visit. I was hoping to get there at a time when the library was open, so I could take a look inside. We drove from the castle at Gloucester to arrive in Essex, and Google maps announced to me that I 'had arrived'! However, the building wasn't visible, so I decided to ask a lady walking her dog if I was at the right place. She was very helpful and also surprised how I had heard about the library. She said it needed to be renovated badly and was about to be sold, when a generous grant came through and work had now begun to update the structure. She moved the tarp on the fence to show me the building. I was sorry I didn't get to see it in its glory, but it looked beautiful even under renovation. The lady asked me to go around the street to get a better view, and this is what it looked like.
A closeup of the tower. What a splendid building to have as a public library!
The next day, we were at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. While exploring the market square, we came across some really beautiful old buildings, and this one below was one of them. A sign on it said- Portsmouth Athenaeum, 1817.
An athenaeum is an institution for the promotion of literary or scientific learning. It could be a library or reading room. This one at Portsmouth houses some very interesting books, art and rare documents about the history of the area. It is such a pity I had not kept aside time for such unexpected surprises.
The entrance to the athenaeum, above.
Historic artifacts grace the entrance.
A closeup of one says they were obtained from the British at the battle of Lake Eerie in 1813.
I now decided to look for public libraries in the area so I could get pictures and compare their structures. Most seemed to be so beautiful!
While on a visit to Kennebunkport, Maine, their public library was a red brick building.
Another interesting building at Kennebunkport was that of Cider Mill Press, Book Publishers. I felt bad that I wasn't checking out any of them by taking a peek inside. When you have chalked out a vacation and an unexpected interest suddenly springs up, it is hard to make time for it.
As we continued the road trip to drive up to Acadia National Park, we passed the delightful town of Bath. We were walking down a main street peeping into quaint boutiques and stores, admiring old buildings that lined the street, and around a corner, this charming structure greeted me. It was the Patten free public library. Founded in 1847, this building was built in 1889. New wings were subsequently added in 1961, and in 1998.
Another view of the Patten public library at Bath, Maine.
The Seal Harbor Library at Mount Desert, Maine was a surprise as we drove up this road after taking a wrong turn. It was almost as if it was meant to be. What an endearing cottage like feel to the library! It was closed when we were there.
After Maine, we spent two days at the White Mountain National Forest, and then continued our drive towards Burlington, Vermont.
On the way, this red brick building, so full of character, turned out to be the Lisbon Public Library, built in 1926 in the town of Lisbon, New Hampshire.
As we got closer to Montpelier, Vermont, the town of Barre caught my attention. We were walking around, and had just had a very good lunch at a lovely pub called the Cornerstone Pub and Kitchen.
On turning a corner, this neat public library greeted us. It is called the Aldrich Public Library. What was really delightful was a granite sculpture of Mr. Pickwick situated on the front lawn of the library!
Italian-born artist Giuliano Cecchinelli crafted the statue from Barre granite and began work on it twenty one years ago. Standing atop four large books, the character is bespectacled like Samuel Pickwick from Charles Dickens' 'The Pickwick Papers', but doesn't share other traits with the character like being heavyset and bald. More about the artist and the sculpture can be found here.
Billings Library (now known as the Billings Student Center) at the University of Vermont, was designed by Henry Hobson Richardson, and was completed and dedicated in 1885. The cost of construction was over $150,000, with a hefty donation from Frederick Billings, a native Vermonter and the President of Northern Pacific Railroad. It underwent significant changes in the twentieth century to remain relevant, but it has remained close to its original appearance which is a testament to the strength and power of its architecture. Details about the history of the library can be found here. It is listed in the national register of historic places.
Driving from the university towards the famous Church Street Marketplace at Burlington, we passed the Fletcher Free Library. It is a public library that was founded after a donation from the Fletcher family in 1873, and it was housed in City Hall, which it soon outgrew. The present building was completed and dedicated in 1904, after an additional donation from Andrew Carnegie. That building became unstable with time, and after interventions from citizens, in 1977, funds were made available to stabilize, repair and restore the building.
After Burlington, it was time to head to the coast again, and we started off on scenic route 100 to get to New Haven, Connecticut. On the way, at Waitsfield, we saw this appealing yellow charmer- the Joslin Memorial Library.
On their website, it says- Erected in 1913, the Joslin Memorial Library was the gift of George A. Joslin, a Waitsfield man who made his fortune in the newspaper business in the West. The building, constructed at a cost of $21,387, is still one of the finest of its kind in the state. As you enter the building between the two imposing Indiana Bedford Limestone columns, notice the starburst windows over the door and the slate hip roof decorated with dentils. The entry is polished marble. The circulation desk is a fine example of woodworking and the handsome light fixtures are original. Of particular note is the stained glass skylight called an art-glass window.
I do wish I had gone inside.
On the way, we stopped for an early dinner at Hartford. On the other side of the Connecticut State Capitol, was this impressive State Library. Built in 1910, it has three wings that house the State Library on the left, a central Memorial Hall, and the Supreme Court on the right.
The Free Public Library at New Haven, CT. Established in 1887, it outgrew its leased location. To house the growing library, this neo-Georgian building called the Ives Main Library was completed in 1911, and was renovated and expanded in 1990.
And finally, in Boston, the public library that is like a museum! It has a huge collection of over 23 million items and is the third largest public library in the United States, after the Library of Congress and the New York Public Library.
There is a lot of information about the history of the library movement in Boston on Wikipedia.
We got to see the building while taking a tour of the city. This is an image from the window of our tour bus.
It is interesting to see it etched in stone- the fact that these libraries are 'free' to the public!
The last time I found myself checking out a library while on vacation was three years ago, and it was the Main Branch of the New York Public Library at Bryant Park. I was supposed to meet friends there and before they arrived, I admired the architecture of the building.
I must plan a trip solely for the purpose of visiting libraries in the near future. What a magnificent trip that will be!
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