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OXFORD COMMUNITY Bolsters Mills Harrison Norway Oxford Paris South Paris Waterford West Paris SCHOOL High School Middle School Elementary HOSPITAL Stephens Memorial |
PO Box 43
Paris, Maine 04271
Phone: 207-743-2980
E-mail: amcdonald@hamlin.lib.me.us
Location: Hannibal Hamlin Dr.
Paris Hill, Paris ME
Hours: Wed. 1:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Thurs. & Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
History
The small granite building that now houses the Hamlin Memorial Library was built in 1822 to house the Oxford County Jail. The jail, the jailer's house next door, the County Courthouse and the Registry of Deeds, now private homes, continued to operate as county government buildings until the 1890's, when the County Seat was moved to South Paris to be near the train station.
Dr. Augustus Choate Hamlin, a nephew of Hannibal Hamlin, Vice President during Lincoln's first term, purchased the old jail, and in 1902 deeded it to the Paris Hill Library Association to be a library and museum. The downstairs now serves as a library and the upstairs as a museum. The museum has on display items belonging to the Hamlin family, (Hannibal Hamlin was born in the house next door to the library,) old jail artifacts, as well as items of historical interest donated by Paris Hill families throughout the century.
Borrower's Information
Anyone in the towns of Paris and Norway can have a free library card. This privilege is also extended to regular patrons from other nearby towns.
Books and other library materials can be borrowed for two weeks and renewed at the library or by telephone. Overdue fines are $.05 per day. Inter-library loan is also available.
A book return box is located by the front door for book returns when the library is closed.
Children's Services
The library has a special section of children's fiction and non-fiction books.
A traditional Halloween Party is held the Saturday before Halloween. Through the years these parties have included costumes and costume prizes, scary stories, puppet shows, refreshments and even a "haunted jailhouse."
A Christmas Party is held on a Saturday in December and features Holiday stories or puppet shows, music, games, and special Holiday treats.
Children's activities in the summer include crafts and games, visits from local entertainers and last summer, a live animal presentation by the Chewonki Foundation.
Services
The Library has a computer with encyclopedia software and access to the Internet. We have a collection of reference books, local history, and family history materials for use in the library. A museum containing items of local historical interest is located upstairs and available to the public in the spring, summer and fall. Tours of the museum are available on request.
Special Events
The third Saturday in July is "Founder's Day" on the village green on scenic Paris Hill. Founder's Day features an antique and crafts fair and an opportunity to view one of the country's finest vintage car collections. Proceeds from the day help support the Hamlin Memorial Library.