Bailey Island Library Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Bailey Island Library Hall
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Maine
|
|
| Location | 2167 Harpswell Island Road, Harpswell, Maine |
|---|---|
| Built | 1912 |
| NRHP reference No. | 08001253 |
| Added to NRHP | December 31, 2008 |
The Bailey Island Library Hall, often called just Library Hall, is a special old building on Bailey Island in Harpswell, Maine. It was built over 100 years ago, between 1911 and 1912. This building has been a very important part of island life ever since it was built. It was designed by a famous architectural company from New York City called Mann & MacNeille.
When it first opened, Library Hall was home to a lending library where people could borrow books. It also had a social hall for community events. Today, it mostly serves as a place for events. Because of its history and design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 31, 2008.
Contents
What Does Library Hall Look Like?
Library Hall is located in the middle of Bailey Island. You can find it on the east side of Harpswell Island Road, which is also Maine State Route 24. It's a wooden building with a sloped roof and a stone base. The outside is covered with clapboard siding.
There's a porch on the west side of the building. It has square posts that hold up its roof. The front of the building has three sets of French doors. These doors let people enter the main hall. There are also three rounded windows on the roof. A small tower with a bell sits on top of the main roof. The back of the building has another section that extends out. On the north and south sides, you'll see special "Palladian windows." Inside, the main part is a big open hall. The kitchen is in the back section. One end of the hall has a stage, like a small theater.
How Library Hall Was Built
The architects who designed Library Hall were Horace Mann and Perry MacNeille. They were both from New York City and spent their summers on Bailey Island. They drew up the plans for the hall in 1909. The building was then constructed between 1911 and 1912.
The architects wanted the hall to look like the main house at Mount Vernon in Virginia. Mount Vernon was the home of George Washington. This style was very popular back then and is called "Georgian Revival" architecture. Library Hall even became a model for other community buildings that Mann & MacNeille designed later.
A Center for the Community
One main reason Library Hall was built was to give islanders a place to borrow books. Before the Bailey Island Bridge was built in 1928, getting to the nearest library on Orr's Island meant taking a ferry.
A group called the Mingo Club helped make Library Hall happen. This club started in 1906. They managed a local lending library and worked to raise money for the hall. They also helped take care of the building.
Library Hall quickly became a busy place for many different events. People gathered there for talks, dances, and concerts. A famous thinker named Carl Jung even gave his first talk in America about dreams at Library Hall. The Mingo Club's lending library stopped operating by 1961. However, the hall is still used today for local events. The Bailey Island Library Hall Association now takes care of it.
Images for kids
-
A view of Mackerel Cove across Route 24 from Library Hall
