In the early 1900s, one resident living here along Vermont’s border with Quebec, Canada had a desire to do something for her community.
“Martha Stewart, a very wealthy lady in her 70s, decided she wanted to do something for the two communities. Up to this point, she had a library in her home that she shared with friends,” says Kathryn Converse, with the Haskell Library, located in Derby Line, Vermont.
Kathryn Converse says Martha Stewart Haskell, set aside money to build a library and theater that was all located in one building By 1905 the theater and library were open and serving patrons who lived on both sides of the border, and a walk through this library reveals beautiful wood, glass and tin work.
The theater housed within the same building boasts great acoustics and elegant charm for those who come to watch many types of performances.
The view from outside is equally impressive, with stonework that dates back well over a century.But a closer look both outside and inside reveals something that makes this place unique.
“At that time, the international border was not a closed border, which it is now. So at the time, it was just family. Your mom lived on one side of the street. You built a house on the other side of the street and you were in two countries, but nobody cared and nobody knew the difference. And it was not an issue,” explains Converse.
But over time, especially after September 11th, 2001, border security became a bigger issue.
“ We were grandfathered so that our Canadian clientele could park on the Canadian side, take the sidewalk into the library and go back the same way,” she says.
There are no entrances on the Canadian side of the building.Meanwhile, U.S. citizens enter through a door in Vermont, but once inside can wind up in a different country while inside the walls.
“Once they cross these little tape lines that we put in there, they’re in Canada, but they cannot go outside and cross onto the Canadian side without going through Customs and immigration,” says Converse.
Once inside patrons can find books in both English and French…since those on the Canadian side are from French speaking Quebec.Locals may not give the arrangement much thought as they are used to living on the border.But the library has become a place that many from near and far love to visit.
“A lot of local people don’t realize how special this place is,” Converse adds. “I know when I first came up here, I didn’t. And but we have people from I had people from Tokyo, people from Africa, people all over the world who have found this and just decided this. They were going to make this part of their trip to the U.S.”
But don’t be fooled, this peaceful setting is being monitored very carefully, with border patrol cars form either country likely to be spotted outside.In fact, we had to stay on the U.S. side of the border while filming outside the building, but once inside, could cross the tape line and enter into Canada while looking at the library and theatre.This is a special place that Kathryn loves to share with others.
“I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and for an old English teacher, this is a labor of love. I mean, I love being in the stacks where the books are. I love organizing,” says Converse.
This is not only a place where people come to read and check out books, but also a place visitors from around the world come to see a beautiful library on an international border.
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