Fort Fairfield Public Library

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Fort Fairfield Public Library is the town’s public library, located at 339 Main Street in Fort Fairfield, Maine. A private library existed there as early as 1880, and the town made it publicly supported in 1894 with a circulation of 300 books.

In 1911, Andrew Carnegie donated $10,000, helping create one of Maine’s Carnegie libraries. The building was designed by Lewiston architect Harry Coombs and built by R.J. Noyes of Augusta. It was completed and officially opened on September 9, 1913.

In 1925, Colonel Franklin Drew from Lewiston donated his personal library to the library. The Drew Room now holds genealogy records, town reports dating back to the late 1800s, the Fort Fairfield Review, and the Fort Fairfield Journal. It is named after Colonel Drew’s father, Jessie Drew.

The Fort Fairfield Public Library was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. A 1994–95 addition created a community room for residents, local clubs, and organizations. The new space also includes the children’s room, the librarian’s office, and a handicap-accessible bathroom. The community room was even used as a temporary town office during the 1994 flood.

In 2007, the library computerized its collection. About 14,000 books were entered into the system, bringing the library’s total to roughly 18,000 books, plus audio books, VHS and DVD movies, 20 periodicals, and 4 newspapers.