The Zoé Vallé Memorial Library is a library in

Chester, Nova Scotia Chester is a village on the Chester Peninsula, Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada. History The French had been present in Acadia since the early 1600s, but when the British expanded into the area in the 1700s, Acadian settlements on the South ...

, Canada that was established in 1928. The library was the home of long-time summer resident Marie Zoé Vallé Lightfoot (1849–1926). She was from

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

(and also had a home in

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...

, France). She died in Nova Scotia and is buried in the

Bellefontaine Cemetery Bellefontaine Cemetery is a nonprofit, non-denominational cemetery and arboretum in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1849 as a rural cemetery, Bellefontaine has several architecturally significant monuments and mausoleums such as the Louis Su ...

, St. Louis.Zoé Vallé Memorial Library
Blog Her sister Isabel Austen gave Zoe's home to the people of Chester to be used as a library in memory of Zoé. The Chester branch of the Women's Institute of Nova Scotia ran the library in her home for over 50 years. The library has a history of notable supporters. The library was neglected from 1978 until it was researched and restored in 1994. The library remains open to the public. On the grounds of the library are an extensive flower garden and the Chester Trust Lightfoot Tower. It is supported by charitable donations to the Zoe Valle Lightfoot Endowment Fund which is managed by a Board of Trustees and administered by the Municipality of Chester.

Supporters

William Lyon Mackenzie King William Lyon Mackenzie King (December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian statesman and politician who was the tenth prime minister of Canada for three non-consecutive terms from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. A Liberal ...

– prime minister of Canada * Sir

Christopher Ondaatje Sir Philip Christopher Ondaatje (; born 22 February 1933) between 2004 and 2024 The Earl of Rothes, Lord of Leslie and Sheriff of Fife, is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian-English businessman, philanthropist, adventurer, writer and bob-sledding Olympi ...

– author and business person * John Grier Hibben –

president of Princeton University Princeton University, founded in 1746 as the College of New Jersey, is a private Ivy League research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. The university is led by a president, who is selected by the board of trustees by ballot. The p ...

Cyrus Eaton Cyrus Stephen Eaton Sr. (December 27, 1883 – May 9, 1979) was a Canadian-American investment banker, businessman and philanthropist, with a career that spanned 70 years. For decades Eaton was one of the most powerful financiers in the American ...

– philanthropist and business person * John Gardner Murray – the sixteenth presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church *

Robert S. Brookings Robert Somers Brookings (January 22, 1850 – November 15, 1932) was an American businessman and philanthropist, known for his involvement with Washington University in St. Louis and his founding of the Brookings Institution. Early life and ed ...

– married Zoe's niece

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zoe Valle Memorial Library Buildings and structures in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia Libraries in Nova Scotia Libraries established in 1928 1928 establishments in Canada

Supporters

See also

References