115-Year-Old Bar Harbor Library Unveils $13.4 Million Expansion

The Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor has opened a $10.7 million wing, its first major renovation since the building opened in 1911. The addition, formally open since July 19, brought the total cost of the expansion and related repairs to $13.4 million, funded by more than 650 private donors, several grants and a $600,000 congressional earmark. The new wing adds an elevator, nicknamed "Winnie," eight bathrooms including a disability-accessible one, roughly 400 electrical outlets, a makerspace, a climate-controlled archive and a 120-person auditorium. Library officials said the addition was built with cross-laminated timber, which they said cut the project's carbon footprint by 37%. "The building from 1911 is amazing, beautiful and historic," said Lila Miller, the library's community relations director, adding that it no longer serves the needs of a modern library. Ron Beard, a former library trustee, said the original building limited the library's ability to serve as a community gathering space. Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell chaired the expansion's honorary committee but was not at the July 19 ribbon cutting and is no longer involved, Miller said. The town of Bar Harbor did not fund the expansion but provides $300,000 annually for library operations.

This story was first reported by Bangor Daily News.