Derby Line in Orleans County, Vermont — The American Northeast (New England)

Haskell Free Library and Opera House

By Kevin Craft, July 4, 2014

1. Haskell Free Library and Opera House Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

This structure is doubly unusual: it not only straddles the Canada-United States boundary but also contains the rare combination of a library and a theatre. Built between 1901 and 1904 as the gift of the Haskell family of Vermont, it testifies to the late Victorian belief in the intellectual and moral benefits of education and the arts. Its Queen Anne Revival style, as designed by James Ball, is typical of public libraries of the period. The second storey opera house follows accepted principles of 19th-century theatre design and its ornate interior seats 500 people.

Erected 1985 by Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Arts, Letters, Music • Education • Entertainment.

Location. 45° 0.338′ N, 72° 5.87′ W. Marker is in Derby Line, Vermont, in Orleans County. Marker is at the intersection of Caswell Avenue and Church Street, on the right when traveling west on Caswell Avenue. Touch for map. Marker

Haskell Free Library and Opera House image. Click for full size.

By Kevin Craft, July 4, 2014

2. Haskell Free Library and Opera House

marker is to the left of the entrance

is at or near this postal address: 93 Caswell Avenue, Derby Line VT 05830, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Vermont (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Derby Academy (approx. 4.2 miles away); Vietnam Veterans Memorial (approx. 6.9 miles away); Grand Army of the Republic Memorial (approx. 6.9 miles away); War Memorial (approx. 7 miles away); The Arrival of the Railroad / L'Arrivée du Chemin de Fer (approx. 7.1 miles away); Tour Boats on the Lake / Les Bateaux de Randonnée sur le Lac (approx. 7.1 miles away); Pomerleau Park (approx. 7.1 miles away).

More about this marker. This marker is unique. The marker was erected by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada but it is affixed near the main entrance of the building which is in the United States.

Regarding Haskell Free Library and Opera House. The Haskell Free Library and Opera House has become a symbol of the harmony between Canada and the United States. It was built straddling the border. The library and opera house was a gift to the communities it serves in memory of Carlos Haskell by his wife Martha and son Horace Haskell. It was designed by Boston architects James Ball, a Rock Island native and his partner Gilbert Smith. The position of the border is depicted by a black line painted on the floor. The library shelves, the opera house stage and some seats are in Québec(Canada). The rest of the seats and the main entrance are in Vermont(USA). The building has been classified

By Kevin Craft, July 4, 2014

3. Haskell Free Library and Opera House

Border boundary marker is next to the sidewalk

as a historic site in Canada and is on the National Register of Historic Places in the USA.

Also see . . .
1. Parks Canada - Haskell Free Library and Opera House. (Submitted on July 7, 2014, by Kevin Craft of Bedford, Quebec.)
2. Official website of Haskell Free Library and Opera House. (Submitted on July 7, 2014, by Kevin Craft of Bedford, Quebec.)

Credits. This page was last revised on December 6, 2020. It was originally submitted on July 7, 2014, by Kevin Craft of Bedford, Quebec. This page has been viewed 310 times since then and 3 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 7, 2014, by Kevin Craft of Bedford, Quebec. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.