Jesup Memorial Library
🏢 Minerva Library Network · Bar Harbor, Maine
Jesup Memorial Library
The Jesup Memorial Library has served as Bar Harbor's public library since a group of summer visitors began collecting books on a cottage veranda in 1875. The brick-and-Indiana-sandstone building at 34 Mount Desert Street was funded by Maria DeWitt Jesup in memory of her husband Morris K. Jesup, a New York financier and Mount Desert Island summer regular, and was dedicated on August 30, 1911 — with architect William Adams Delano calling it 'one of the finest library buildings of its size in New England.' Museum passes for four Mount Desert Island venues are available to Minerva cardholders.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 10am–5pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–8pm |
| Thursday | 10am–8pm |
| Friday | 10am–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 34 Mount Desert Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609
Phone: (207) 288-4245
Website: jesuplibrary.org
Plus Code: 87PH9QPV+M9 (Bar Harbor, ME)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Jesup Memorial Library
The Jesup Memorial Library traces its origins to summer 1875, when conversations on a Bar Harbor cottage veranda inspired a group of summer visitors to establish a village reading room. Miss Maria Huntington made the first $20 donation, and the collection found a home in a small frame building behind the Union Church by 1877. In 1908 philanthropist George Bucknam Dorr approached Maria DeWitt Jesup, widow of New York financier and Acadia advocate Morris K. Jesup (1830–1908), who agreed to fund a permanent brick library and endow its maintenance. Architect William Adams Delano designed the Romanesque Revival structure in Indiana sandstone trim at 34 Mount Desert Street; it was dedicated on August 30, 1911, and praised as 'one of the finest library buildings of its size in New England.' The library survived the catastrophic Bar Harbor Fire of 1947 — which destroyed most of the town's historical records — and has been the nonprofit public library of Bar Harbor and the surrounding area ever since. Today it belongs to the Minerva Library Network, maintains an Archive & Special Collections with Maine and Bar Harbor history materials, and offers museum passes to four MDI institutions.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded 1875 when summer visitors began collecting books on a Bar Harbor cottage veranda — the first $20 donated by Miss Maria Huntington
- Dedicated August 30, 1911; designed by architect William Adams Delano with brick and Indiana sandstone trim at 34 Mount Desert Street
- Named in memory of Morris K. Jesup (1830–1908), New York financier and Mount Desert Island summer colony member, funded by his widow
- Survived the catastrophic 1947 Bar Harbor Fire, which destroyed most of the town's historical records
- Museum passes for four Mount Desert Island institutions: Oceanarium, Maine Granite Museum, Seal Cove Auto Museum & Wendell Gilley Museum
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Jesup cardholders access Maine statewide digital resources and the Minerva shared catalog for free:
📚 Services
- Museum passes for four Mount Desert Island cultural institutions (Oceanarium, Maine Granite Museum, Seal Cove Auto Museum, Wendell Gilley Museum)
- Archive & Special Collections — Bar Harbor and Maine history, local newspapers, vertical files
- Mobile hotspot lending
- Public computers, printing & free Wi-Fi
- Interlibrary loan through the Minerva Library Network
- Reciprocal borrowing with Maine Minerva member libraries
- Reference and reader's advisory assistance
- Youth programs and summer reading
🎸 Programs
- Children's and youth programming
- Summer reading program
- Community events and author talks
- Archive & Special Collections access for history and genealogy research
- Friends of the Jesup Memorial Library events
📍 Nearby Libraries on Mount Desert Island & Hancock County
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Morris K. Jesup, and why is the library named after him?
Morris K. Jesup (1830–1908) was a New York financier, philanthropist, and longtime summer resident of Mount Desert Island. He was president of the American Museum of Natural History and a patron of Arctic exploration. After his death, his widow Maria DeWitt Jesup funded the construction and endowment of a permanent library building in his memory. Architect William Adams Delano designed the brick-and-Indiana-sandstone structure dedicated on August 30, 1911.
How did the Jesup Memorial Library survive the 1947 Bar Harbor Fire?
The catastrophic 1947 Bar Harbor Fire destroyed much of the town, including most of its historical records. The Jesup Memorial Library at 34 Mount Desert Street survived the fire, though most of the library's own historical documentation from before 1947 was lost. The building and its collections remained intact and the library has continued to serve as Bar Harbor's public library ever since.
What museum passes are available at the Jesup Memorial Library?
The library offers free passes to four Mount Desert Island museums: the Oceanarium & Education Center (free admission for 4 people, one day only), the Maine Granite Museum, the Seal Cove Auto Museum (antique automobiles 1900–1921), and the Wendell Gilley Museum (decorative bird carving). To borrow a pass, call (207) 288-4245 or stop by the circulation desk — passes must be picked up in person.
Is the Jesup Memorial Library open on Sundays or Mondays?
No. The library is closed on both Sunday and Monday. Its open hours are Tuesday and Friday–Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and Wednesday–Thursday 10 a.m.–8 p.m. The library also closes on the 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
🎨 This library lends museum passes. See how library museum passes work and find other libraries that lend passes museum passes by state.
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