The extensive restoration of Eastport’s Peavey Memorial Library is a reflection of the city’s values and an affirmation of its significance as a gathering space and source of knowledge and learning for residents, visitors, and researchers alike.
The current library building opened its doors on October 1, 1894, and represented the culmination of a remarkable building campaign following a devastating fire that decimated Eastport’s commercial core along Water Street in 1886. Frank H. Peavey, who made his fortune in the grain industry in Minneapolis, built the library in honor of his father, Albert, on the condition that residents would stock it with their own books. Peavey commissioned Rotch and Tilde, a Boston architecture firm, whose other works in Maine were lavish summer homes in Bar Harbor. The $10,000 project was overseen by Boston’s Miller and Ladd and resulted in the beautifully executed Romanesque Revival-style structure sited atop a grassy knoll, overlooking the ocean. The permanence and durability of the brick, sandstone, granite, and slate signaled the intended longevity and importance of the library.
The Peavey Memorial Library has been a long-standing community hub, hosting musical programs and holiday celebrations, offering tax preparation assistance, facilitating gardening workshops, and offering arts and crafts for all ages. The building sees over 8,000 visits a year in eastern Washington County. Its services are carried out by the Eastport Public Library Association staff of two people, a dedicated board of directors, and a corps of loyal volunteers.
Years of saltwater-laden winds from across Passamaquoddy Bay put this landmark in jeopardy as the condition of the red brick–cracked, spalling, and broken–reached a crisis point. In 2018, Bucksport-based Knox Masonry detailed the extent of the damage, prompting a comprehensive look at the building’s repair needs.
The library leadership turned to Ellen Angel at Artifex Architect & Engineers, a previous resident of Eastport and the architect responsible for the sympathetically designed children’s wing addition. Artifex assessed the building and developed a plan in 2019, with engineering support from Dr. David Lee Gress and Thornton Tomassetti. Their findings resulted in closure of the iconic arched entry, which was structurally compromised along with its foundation. The report also attributed the inappropriate addition of insulation to the building as the leading culprit in trapping moisture within the brick walls.
The first order of business was to shore up the arched entry to protect against massive failure and remove the detrimental insulation. Over the course of four years, the Peavey Memorial Library got the attention it deserved: the cupola was rehabilitated by Jonesboro-based The Steeple People; the slate roof, copper flashing, and gutters completed by Bangor’s Roof Systems of Maine; and the severely deteriorated masonry restored by Knox Masonry. Inside, minor plaster repairs and a fresh coat of paint reversed the damage that had slowly spread from the building envelope.
Local fundraising efforts garnered over $200,000 for the public library and were bolstered by an array of large grants, including the Maine Development Foundation’s REvitalizeME program and the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund. Repairs were also supported by grants from The 1772 Foundation in partnership with Maine Preservation and the USDA.
Public libraries are among our most democratic institutions, serving all who enter. The Peavey Library can once again fulfill its original charge for the people of Eastport and eastern Washington County.
Project Participants
Eastport Public Library Association
Artifex Architects & Engineers
The Steeple People
Roof Systems of Maine
Knox Masonry
Kenneth D. Jordan, Inc.
Dr. David Lee Gress, Ph.D., P.E.
Thornton Tomasetti
Photo Credits: Dom Lizotte, DLMedia; Fred Fitch; Eastport Public Library Association; Artifex Architects & Engineers; Maine Historic Preservation Commission
