![]() Keep in mind this was being arranged as a “meeting,” not a concert. Here, John and George would be able to join up with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr without risk of breaking the law or creating any future legal entanglements. The Haskell offered a perfect solution to their dilemma. ![]() George Harrison, on the other hand, was prohibited from entering the U.S. simply because more libraries abound in the northeastern corner of Vermont than the surrounding Canadian countryside.Īt the time, John Lennon lived in New York City and was what was termed “line bound,” meaning that officials would not have gone looking to deport John, but if he did happen to exit the U.S., reentry would have been problematic. A higher percentage of patrons tend to draw from Quebec than from the U.S. The Haskell is a modern American library bustling with local residents of all ages making effective use of all it has to offer including computer stations and over 20,000 books available in both French and English. A popular photo opportunity is in the library’s reading room where the international line cuts through at an angle, indicated by black masking tape on the gleaming hardwood floor, and American and Canadian flags harmoniously unfurled side by side as a perfect backdrop in the bay window beyond. and a big bright blue handicapped sticker!Ī visit to the Haskell is great fun for tourists, many of whom discover it by accident, as the Haskell is a real hidden gem. It boasts phenomenal acoustics, a proscenium arch, plaster cherubs, murals, and scenery by celebrated Boston artist, Erwin LaMoss, as well as a drop curtain, props and stage machinery all original, all impeccably preserved.Įvidence of the old coexisting gracefully with the new can be found in the charming juxtaposition of several theatre seats, each with a rack beneath for one’s hat. The opera house is located on the second floor and is as dazzling today as it must have been on opening night, June 7, 1904. The library, on the first floor, is distinguished by well-lit stack rooms, fireplaces, sumptuous sofas and a spectacularly large but not unfriendly moose who keeps a watchful eye over the circulation desk. (National Registry of Historic Landmarks) and Canada (Heritage Building), is forever protected by a grandfather clause. ![]() The good news: the Haskell, a designated landmark in both the U.S. The View from the Foyer looking from Vermont into Canadaīy 1925, that radius was increased to 20 feet and remains in effect to this day. Prompted by the Haskell family’s desire to create a thriving, state-of-the-art educational center designed to advance cultural enrichment in their beloved border village, construction commenced in 1901 and was completed in 1904 and just in time! In 1908, construction on the border was prohibited when a “10 foot rule” was initiated which banished such humble items as doghouses, garden sheds, swing sets & jungle gyms, and even landscaping shrubs, from within a 10 foot radius of the “site line.” ![]() Superior craftsmanship led to the creation of a striking exterior and naturally elegant interior. Local building materials such as granite from Stanstead, Quebec and rare native wood from Vermont were used in the Haskell’s construction together with items ordered by mail: exquisite mantles, mosaics, stained glass and pressed tin. Its rear facade is in Canada and it borrows from the Georgian tradition no two sides are the same. A library and opera house, the imposing yet welcoming entrance in Vermont, is a shining example of Victorian architecture.
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