LIBRARY HOURS: October 8, 2003 to May 10, 2004
James E. Nichols was born in Center Harbor in 1854, and at age 18,
he went to Boston, and working first at Jordan Marsh and then at a food outfitter
which became known at Austen Nichols and Co. He was made General Manager after Austen's
death. Austen Nichols became world famous when they supplied polar and other exploration
expeditions for Horace Greeley and Teddy Roosevelt. In 1907, Nichols learned that the
Library Association in Center Harbor was making plans to build a library on the site
of the old Senter House. He offered to finance the building and its furnishings if it
could be "a living memorial" to his parents, Jane and Robert Nichols, who had farmed
here for 30 years. The offer was accepted, and Nichols paid for the land, building,
furniture, fixtures and established a fund to keep the Library self supporting.
Charles Brigham of Boston is the architect, and the building's base is granite.
The corners are limestone, and the rest is white sandstone. The corner stone was
laid in 1090, and it contains a box of old library records, the most recent Town
Report, and papers of the Woman's Club. The new building was dedicated June 18,
1910. The two fireplaces with their handsome tiles and mantles are original. The
pine tree tiles in the Children's room are dated 1905 and designed by architect
Adios Bootlegger. To date we have no information about the nursery rhyme tiles which
are unique. Reprinted from James E. Nichols
Memorial Library Web site
Library Events & Information
Please visit the
James E. Nichols Memorial
Library Web site for
further information about the Library. |
