Located in Houlton, Maine, the Cary Library was founded by Dr. George Cary and was built between 1903 and 1904 with funding provided by the estate of Dr. Cary and a $10,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie for the building itself. The Cary Library officially opened its doors on October 12, 1904. It was dedicated on November 28, of the same year. The original granite Carnegie building held a marble plaque just inside the front door stating George Cary's wish for the Cary Library. Its inscription reads:
"Cary Library. Forever free to the citizens of Houlton. Founded by George Cary to promote the welfare of the people of his native town by a general diffusion of knowledge and the study of literature, and a tribute to the memory of Shepard Cary & Susan Cary, his father and mother."This Plaque has since been relocated at the entrance of the addition which was completed in the fall of 1969. This addition was built to more adequately accommodate the current collection. Upon completion of the addition, the entire collection of the library was moved into it. With this move the Carnegie building was empty. However, with the removal of the glass floor to improve the acoustics of the room, the original Carnegie building was put to use as a conference room. Throughout the 1970s and 80s the old Carnegie building was used for as many as 250 meetings per year by local clubs and organizations, including the Houlton Garden Club, the Houlton Women's Club, Girl Scouts, the Great Books Discussion Groups, arts and crafts exhibits, Social Security meetings, and genealogy workshops.
In the Spring of 1991 the Children's collection was placed back in the Carnegie building in order to allow circulation to continue while the newer addition was undergoing renovations. Once renovations of the addition were complete, the children's collection remained in the Carnegie building permanently. With this change came the need for renovations to the aging building to make it a more suitable kids environment. Our needs were met by the generous contributions of Earle J. Starkey. The interior has received a much needed face-lift, but in doing so we have also tried to preserve, as much as possible, the antiquity of the historic landmark. Today, in our Children's Library, young readers will find books separated into their own separate reading levels and areas of interest.
There has been much affection for and a strong commitment to the Cary Library since its founding in 1904. In its eighty-seven years of service, there have been only six librarians and twenty-three different trustees.
Today, patrons of the Cary Library may browse our collection of over 35,000 volumes in a spacious, brightly lit, air-conditioned atmosphere, assisted by a friendly and knowledgeable staff. We have special collections including a very extensive Genealogy Room, a large Maine Collection, and many separate categories of fiction including mysteries, westerns, science fiction, and a growing collection of over 500 large print selections. In addition to these we have over 100 different periodicals, 250 books on audio-cassette and over 1,100 videos. We also provide many services.
| http://www.cary.lib.me.us/history.html | Last updated 12/24/98 |
| Cary Library - Houlton, Maine |