The Skowhegan Free Public Library is the public library of
Skowhegan, Maine
Skowhegan () is the county seat of Somerset County, Maine. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 8,620. Every August, Skowhegan hosts the annual Skowhegan State Fair, the oldest continuously-held state fair in the United States. Skowh ...
. It is located at 9 Elm Street, in an architecturally significant Queen Anne brick building designed by
Edwin E. Lewis and completed in 1890. The building was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1983.
The library is managed by the
Bloomfield Academy Trustees.
Architecture and history
The library is located on the north side of Elm Street, just west of its junction with Madison Avenue (
United States Route 201
U.S. Route 201 (US 201) is part of the nationwide system of United States Numbered Highways. It runs for entirely within the state of Maine and is a spur route of U.S. Route 1 in Maine, U.S. Route 1. Its southern terminus is in Brunswick, Maine, ...
), and overlooking the
Kennebec River
The Kennebec River (Abenaki language, Abenaki: ''Kinəpékʷihtəkʷ'') is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed June 30, 2011 river within the U.S. state of Maine. It ri ...
. The building is a 2-1/2 story brick structure, with asymmetrical massing characteristic of the Queen Anne period. Its main block has a hip roof, with a projecting gable section at the left side of the front (south-facing) facade, and an octagonal tower projecting forward from the right side of the facade, with then entrance between these two elements. An ell extends to the rear of the main block. The gable section has bands of three sash windows on both levels, with a large semicircular terra cotta panel above. The first-floor windows are in segmented-arch openings. The entrance is set in a terra-cotta arch, which was originally open but has since been closed in. The tower at the right has an entablature with terra cotta decoration below its octagonal pyramidal roof.
The building's interior is of extremely high quality and preservation. It has ornate
millwork
Millwork is historically any Sawmill, wood mill produced decorative materials used in Construction#Building construction, building construction. Stock profiled and patterned millwork building components fabricated by Milling (machining), millin ...
, moldings, and stained glass, and includes furniture built to match the building's features. Wooden shelving is built into place between the floor and ceiling.
[
The library was built in part due to the efforts and donations of native son ]Abner Coburn
Abner Coburn (March 22, 1803 – January 4, 1885) was the 30th Governor of Maine from 1863 to 1864 and a prominent individual in Skowhegan, Maine until his death.
Early years
Coburn was born on a farm in Old Canaan (later renamed to Skowhegan) ...
, who gave land and funding for its construction.[
]
See also
*
References
External links
Skowhegan Free Public Library web site
{{National Register of Historic Places
Libraries on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine
Queen Anne architecture in Maine
Library buildings completed in 1889
Libraries in Somerset County, Maine
Buildings and structures in Skowhegan, Maine
National Register of Historic Places in Somerset County, Maine