Organization History

Jesup Memorial Library

Address: 34 Mt. Desert Street City: Bar Harbor State: Maine Map and Lot: Map 104 – Lot 433 NRHP: 91000323 Date Original Library Founded: 1875 Benefactor: Maria Van Antwerp De Witt (1834-1914) – Mrs. Morris K. Jessup Gift in honor of: Jesup - Morris Ketchum Jesup (1830-1908) Architect: Delano - Delano (1874-1960) Superintendent of construction: Roscoe Almon Eddy (1865-1924) Date Built: 1911

"The Jessup Library was founded in 1875 by summer visitors who left their books for winter use, and clubbed together to get the services of a part-time librarian." - “The Story of Bar Harbor – An Informal History Recording One Hundred and Fifty Years In the Life of a Community,” by Richard Walden Hale, Jr., Ives Washburn, Inc., 1949, p. 209.

A brief history of the Jessup Library appears in a letter from Inez Suminsby to Nellie “Nell” Rebecca (Carroll) Thornton (1871-1958), Mrs. Seth Sprague Thornton Jr., written on August 14, 1929 in answer to a request from Nell about the origins of the Jesup library.

“Dear Madam:

We have no history of the library, but I looked into the old records & found the following facts:

The first library building was built in 1877 beside the Congregational Church. Previous to this Mrs. John Salisbury had kept the books in her house. She was librarian after the first building was built, until 1881. I find present at the first meeting in the building the following,

Mrs. Hardy, Mrs. John Salisbury, Mrs. Grew, Miss Harriet Minot, Mr. Louis Higgins, Mr. Desisle, Mr. E. Higgins, Mr. D. Bunker, Mr. Grew. Whether they actually started it, I can find no record other than this, but think they must have.

Mrs. Salisbury resigned in 1881 and Mrs. Leander Higgins was librarian until 1885. After her, Miss Elizabeth Wasgatt was librarian until 1896.

Meanwhile the Congo Church needed the land the first [library] building was on and it was moved to another place and used for a year or two.

In 1890 the building on Ledgelawn Ave. was built and that was used until 1911, when Mrs. Morris Jessup gave the present building on Mt. Desert St.

In 1896 Miss Adeline Bunker became librarian as Miss Wasgatt resigned. In 1905 Miss Bunker resigned and the present librarian, Miss Inez Suminsby took her place.

The library is a corporation library. Mrs. Jessup endowed the building with an amount that covered about a third of the expenses. The rest is covered by the town’s appropriation of $500, the state’s of $50, summer subscriptions and gifts, and income from some special fund given some time ago.

There are about 13,500 volumes. There is one regular librarian and a summer assistant. We have a fine collection of prints and during the summer season the print room is used for art exhibits. We have also a very attractive garden.” – Manuscript in the collection of the Carroll family.

"Roscoe A. Eddy has been appointed superintendent of construction of the new Jesup Memorial Library, and will begin his duties at once. Mr. Eddy has just returned from where he has had an extended conference with Delano and Aldrich, the architects. Mr. Eddy who has been building inspector for the past two years, is eminently fitted for the work and the supervision of the erection of the building will be in good hands." – Bar Harbor Record, undated, 1911.

The Jesup Memorial Library was dedicated on August 30, 1911. The Right Rev. William Lawrence, Episcopal Bishop of opened the exercises and Mrs. Jesup, who had spent $80,000 on the project, turned over the deed of the property to the library corporation. See: , August 31, 1911.