Jesup Memorial Library

By 1909, Bar Harbor’s library had moved three times and was in search of a larger home. With this in mind, George B. Dorr, founder of Acadia National Park, approached summer resident and philanthropist Maria DeWitt Jesup with a vision: a modern library for the town of Bar Harbor. Mrs. Jesup agreed to fund the project in honor of her late husband, Morris K. Jesup, who had died the year prior.

Initially, Mrs. Jesup agreed to commit $20,000 to the project, but the estimated cost quickly exceeded her donation, and architect William Adams Delano faced a quandary. Speaking to Dorr, he said, “What Mrs. Jesup wants in materials, and you for the town in space and arrangement, is going to cost far more than Mrs. Jesup has offered to give. What shall I do: cut in material or in space?” “Cut in neither,” Dorr declared. He suggested that once Mrs. Jesup had seen the plans, she would agree to give more, and he was correct; Mrs. Jesup never balked at the cost, which was ultimately more than $70,000.

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(Image: Jesup Library online archive)

Designed by the New York firm of Delano & Aldrich, Jesup Memorial Library opened to the public in 1911. Overseen by firm partner William Adams Delano, the Colonial Revival building was constructed of brick, with limestone trim, and a slate roof. Facing Mount Desert Street, the new library building featured an elaborate Palladian entrance with Classical details such as pilasters, urns, and a coffered ceiling.

Combined with these Classical elements were architectural details that alluded to the building’s purpose, such as the open book placed in the decorative medallion over the front door. The Jesup was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.