McLean and Wright of Boston

Carnegie Classical Revival Style

18 Jewett Street, Rockport MA  01966-1699

A Brief History of the Building

1903:  The town voted on November 11 to accept Andrew Carnegie's $10,000 gift to build the library.

1904:  The cornerstone for the Carnegie Public Library was laid on December 3. During construction, a local donor provided funds to install an Italian marble floor under the dome of the main floor.

1906:  The new library building opened on February 3.  Its total cost was less than $10,000.

1963: An adult reading room was added to the west side.  It opened in January 1964.  A children's room was created in the basement at some point during this building's history.

1993:  Library services moved to 17 School Street and took on the name of the Rockport Public Library.  The town used the former library for storage.

2007:  The building was sold to private buyers for about $500,000.  They initiated work that fully restored the structure and renovated it into a single-family home, adding two and a half bathrooms and a garage.

2009:  The home was listed for sale with By the Sea Sotheby's International Realty at a price of $2,950,000.  In 2010, it was taken off the market.  It remains unsold.

Some information was supplied by Michael Racicot and John P. Campbell.

2005 photos