The Founding of the Jesup
Establishing a Library for Bar Harbor
In 1915, George Dorr wrote: “The Library at Bar Harbor is the outgrowth of over thirty years of devoted labor on the part of summer residents and citizens, crowned by Mrs. Jesup’s splendid gift of a permanent and fitting home.”
The first effort to establish a library arose from a chance gathering on the porch of the Minot cottage in 1875. In the group, among others, were George Richards Minot, Henry S. Grew, Miss Sarah Minot, Miss Gertrude Weld, Miss Mary Minot, Miss Maria Huntington, and Miss Harriet Minot.
Their discussion prompted an offer from Miss Huntington of a $20 donation ($470 in 2020 dollars) to get the ball rolling. Others offered money and books, the major gift coming from Rufus Prime. Mrs. Endora Salisbury offered a room in her home on Eagle Lake Road to keep the 176 volumes collected to constitute the library, which she opened to permanent residents two afternoons a week during the winter.
By 1877 the permanent residents had found the library such a desirable facility that they formed a permanent committee to ensure its future. When Mrs. Salisbury’s home was partially destroyed by fire and new quarters were needed, the book collection had grown to 250 volumes. The committee, consisting of David A. Bunker, John Lynam and others, raised some funds, bought a lot on the northeast corner of the Union chapel (now the Congregational Church) property, and built a small frame building.
By 1887 circulation had risen to 5200 yearly among Island residents and 2600 among summer visitors, again requiring larger quarters. A lot on Ledgelawn Avenue was bought for $1950 and a building costing $3594 was erected on it.
During these early years the library was supported largely by the proceeds from entertainments organized among summer residents and by their subscriptions. In 1898 the town began appropriating $100 yearly for it and continued to do so for some time to supplement the private funds.
Growing collections, growing demand: The vision for a grand library
By the early 1900’s the community’s needs had yet again outgrown the Village Library, as it was then called, which had 7500 volumes in 1903. Plans for more adequate facilities were finally sparked by George Dorr’s need for a permanent repository for his valuable collection of books on gardening, which he felt should be safeguarded. He decided that the spot where the Jesup Memorial Library now stands was suitable. Then came the question of money. Not an unusually wealthy man himself, Dorr had an unfailing ability to enlist support for his causes from those who were. For the library, he engaged Mrs. Morris K. Jesup. She agreed to build it as a memorial to her husband, a major supporter of science and the arts, who had died the year before, offering to finance the project if the cost did not exceed $20,000. William Adams Delano, a young New York architect, was brought in to plan the building. Mrs. Jesup specified the materials she wished to be used for the interior of the building and Dorr, acting in her behalf, set forth the needs on space and arrangements.
Dorr noted that the Jesup Memorial Library was designed “with the greatest care and with knowledge of what had been accomplished elsewhere.” He, Mrs. Jesup and others involved were no doubt aware of the proliferation of Carnegie libraries. Between 1883 and 1929, 1,689 were built in the US; eighteen of these were public libraries built in Maine, including seven in 1903 alone. These “Palaces for the People,” as Carnegie called them, were designed to impress and inspire.
Design, Construction and Endowment
After Mr. Delano had spent a few days in Bar Harbor making preliminary studies, he went to Dorr and said: “What Mrs. Jesup wants in material and you for the town in space and arrangement is going to cost more than Mrs. Jesup has planned to give. What shall I do? Shall I cut back in space or in materials?”
“Cut in neither,” Dorr replied. “let Mrs. Jesup do the cutting when she has seen your plans.”
When the plans were finally presented, the bid amount was over $77,000, but Mrs. Jesup signed the contract without questioning the amount.
Roscoe A. Eddy, a Bar Harbor carpenter, was employed as building inspector for the construction. The stone for the basement and steps were obtained from the Bear Brook quarry at the base of Champlain Mountain.
As the building was nearing completion, Dorr raised with Mrs. Jesup the question of an endowment to maintain the building, for which she offered $25,000. Dorr was concerned, however, that this was not enough and went to Fred C. Lynam, who had been president of the Village Library, for an estimate of what it would cost to maintain the library appropriate to its memorial intent.
AUGUST 30, 1911: THE DEDICATION
The day of the dedication ceremony, Mrs. Jesup handed her check of $25,000 for endowment to her nephew, Mr. Thomas DeWitt Cuyler, who was to present Mrs. Jesup’s gift to the town.
Mr. Cuyler asked: “Don’t you think it would be better to complete the matter now and free your mind of it?”
“Is it not enough?” she inquired, and he replied:
“No, Mr. Dorr has given me an estimate of annual maintenance expense, drawn up by Mr. Lynam, which calls for the interest on fifty thousand dollars. “
Mrs. Jesup took back the check, tore it up and wrote another for $50,000, which Mr. Cuyler presented in conveying the gift of the library to the town.
The ceremony, according to Dorr, “held in the Reading Room of the completed Library, passed off with great distinction. Judge Deasy’s speech of acceptance was admirable and eloquent and the gift was received with enthusiasm and Mrs. Jesup was well content.”
