4-597: The Cary Library is the public library of Houlton, Maine , US. It is located at 107 Main Street, in an architecturally distinguished building designed by John Calvin Stevens . The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. The library opened on October 12, 1904. Houlton's first attempts to establish a library began in 1850 with a private collection. After two such efforts failed,
8-406: A projecting central bay topped by a gable. The outer bays each have a bank of three sash windows, with granite sills and lintels. The projecting center section shelters the main entrance, which is recessed behind an arched opening, above which is a stone placard naming the building and a small sash window in the gable. The building's cornices are detailed with dentil stonework. A major expansion to
12-407: A third effort begun in 1896 succeeded. This effort was significantly aided by a major bequest from the estate of Dr. George Cary, a local medical doctor and onetime state legislator. This bequest was further augmented with funding from industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie , who gave $ 10,000 to the campaign. Prominent Portland architect John Calvin Stevens was commissioned to the design
16-483: The building, which was completed in 1904. The building designed by Stevens bears a significant resemblance to a recently completed earlier commission, the Rumford Public Library . It is a 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 -story T-shaped structure, built out of coursed ashlar granite. It has a steeply pitched side gable slate roof, with chimneys at each end. The main (north-facing) facade is three bays wide, with
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