WATERVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY
73 Elm Street

Waterville benefited from the generosity of Andrew Carnegie who in 1902 donated $20,000 for a free public library. There was a condition that “the City of Waterville should provide the site and the sum of $2,000 annually for the library's upkeep.”

The architectural style is Richardsonian Romanesque, created by Henry Richardson in the late 19 th century. Characteristics include a Norman tower, dramatic semicircular arches, a rugged appearance, granite and copper materials, and Flemish bond brick work (alternate long and short sides of brick).

This building typifies this style with its rounded arches, distinctive roofline and fancy stonework. The building was renovated in 1960 after a fire. The 1976 addition has bigger windows and no granite, but its horizontal lines blend with those of the original building.

The library is presently gearing up for a massive renovation and expansion.