Straddling Two Countries

The Haskell Library and Opera House

At first glance, It looks like any other Victorian-style building from the early 20th century, complete with stained-glass windows, a grandiose facade and a slate roof. But, appearances aside, this isn't just a grand old building. Here, the border between two countries bisects the building, leaving library users and theatre-goers in one country or the other.

Amazingly, the Haskell Free Library and Opera House (Bibliothèque et salle d’opéra Haskell) is a historic building that's located equally in the small cities of Derby Line, Vermont, U.S. and Stanstead, Quebec, Canada. At the time it was built, people in this rural region moved freely, between these borders, not so anymore.

Derby Line is the still rural Vermont town on the U.S. side of the border. Stanstead, Quebec, the small town on the Canadian side also has American roots and, according to its website, it was founded by pioneers from New England in the 1790s and once a haven for smugglers and bootleggers. As the town grew,  it became the first Canadian stop for the stagecoach that ran from Boston to Quebec City.

At the U.S. border in Derby Line, VT

How did we come across this place?

We were on a road trip to Derby Line, VT, last week to complete our application for Global Entry at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office. This program allows expedited clearance upon arrival in the U.S. from travel abroad. We're (hopefully) planning to travel abroad at least once before year-end.  

The trip from Nashua, NH, to VT was 3 hours each way. We stayed overnight in the area. We had read about the Haskell library and knew that we wanted to visit it.

While the ornate stone two-story Queen Anne Revival-style building that houses the library and an opera house has two addresses, Canadian and American, there's only one entrance and it's on the U.S. side of the border, which is where we were too..

Americans can freely enter by the front door in the U.S. Canadians cross the border in front of the library, stay on the sidewalk and enter via the front door too. They return to Canada via the same route and cannot walk anywhere else in town. And, Americans cannot cross over the sidewalk into Canada. I admit to having crossed the line.

Passports aren’t required since this isn't a formal border crossing, but the library tells visitors to expect their movements to be monitored and carry an ID, just in case.The photo at the left shows how close the border is. This crosswalk is adjacent to the Haskell library. 

Canadians can freely access the library and must return back by the same route when they leave. Family reunions or cross-border visits are not allowed inside, banned after relatives, who were allowed to be in the U.S. or Canada, not both, began arriving for get togethers. The day we visited, a Canadian police vehicle was parked on the Canadian side monitoring the border line. A library volunteer we spoke to told us the border was monitored daily; however the patrol car wasn't there when we left. We had our passports with us, but they were not needed.

Martha Haskells & son Horace Stewart

The building's construction combines elements of the Queen Anne, Georgian and classical revival styles, typical of public libraries of that time. It was conceived and financed by Martha Stewart Haskell, a wealthy Canadian citizen, and her son Horace Stewart Haskell in memory of Stewart's parents, Catherine and Horace Stewart, and late husband Carlos Haskell, an American sawmill owner. 

According to available information, the Haskells purposely chose to build on the border so that Canadians and Americans would have equal access to the library and opera house when border restrictions were more fluid. 

Two large portraits of the Haskells are displayed in the entrance hall. As accounts go, Martha Haskell’s goal was to cheat the border. Accordingly, for years, Canadians and Americans would cross into each others’ countries to attend school, church and marry. Times have changed since then.

Construction began in 1901 and the opera house opened in 1904 as a profit-producing venture that would support the free public library which opened in 1905. 

It's easy to know which country you're in by the very unusual international border, this  black tape line that divides it down the middle. This dividing line was not accidental. It was added to designate the exact border line after a fire decades ago set off a fight between insurance companies over which had to pay for damages.

Patrick has one foot in two countries

We stepped across the tape on the floor and crossed from the U.S. into Canada. This atrium was the center but the circulation desk wasn't here years ago. It was originally positioned to block access to the stacks where the books were located. Small flags of both countries are provided so visitors have a photo opp with a foot in each country as Patrick did above. 

A wooden book used years ago

Years ago, library visitors didn't have free access to books because at the time (1904), books were more valuable and harder to come by. Library users would tell the librarian what they wanted or would give a wooden block of wood with the title — as shown in the above photo — then the book would be brought out. The circulation desk (shown in a photo below) was originally positioned to block access to the stacks where the books were located.

The Haskell library stacks are mostly the original shelves

Today, the library stacks can be freely accessed by library patrons and visitors alike. The library's collection numbers over 20,000 books, mostly in English and French with some Spanish titles as well. Most of this collection is located in Canada. 

The Opera House seating

Unfortunately, the opera house was closed to visitors on the day of our visit, so we didn't see the opera house interiors, this time.

Available photos showed a magnificent venue with a domed ceiling, original mahogany wooden seats and a balcony. The seats closer to the stage are pricier, wider, and have an armrest. We learned that cushions can be rented for the hard wooden seats, regular attendees bring their own.

The stage screens were done by an artist from southern Vermont hired by Horace Haskell. The one that's used most often is a Venice scene which includes a steamboat,  in the back of the scene as Haskell liked steamboats.

As in the library, the theatre is crossed by an international border. Most of the 400-seats are in the U.S. and the show is performed on a stage in Canada. 

Haskell Opera House balcony, Internet source

The opera house includes an arch that provides a clear view of the performance, decorative cherubs and wall murals are typical of early 20th century theatre decor. Performers here have included vaudeville, jazz, blues, rock, music and dance performers, many have left their signatures on dressing room walls.

"Benny"

This is the only moose we saw on our road trip despite the numerous Moose Crossing road signs. It's nicknamed Benny and is displayed in the library near the main desk. As with the flags near the entry way, it's a popular photo "opp."

The story goes that the huge moose was shot in new Brunswick, Canada, by a man named Hunt and that it didn't fit into the front door into his house. Many suspect that his wife refused entry and so it was donated to the library.

The clock in the photo below is original to the 1904 library opening. According to the library volunteer, who provided much information during our visit, it wasn't working for years until a patron repaired it and now it runs perfectly, she added, as long as a staff member remembers to wind it..

The original clock and main library desk

Over the years, some of the library rooms have changed uses. The children's room was the once the men's reading room, where men would recline with their newspapers, books, pipes, and cigars near the room's fireplace. Each room features a different locally-sourced wood, perhaps in tribute to Martha Haskell's sawmill owner husband. There are also several fireplaces, no longer in use except for decorative purposes.

The building has been classified a historic site in both countries. In the U.S., it was registered in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1976 and has been included in Ripley's Believe It or Not. In 1985, the building was designated a National Historic Site in Canada and has been a provincial heritage site since 1977. Being on the international border, gives the Haskell library a unique distinction of being the only NRHP registered landmark above the 45th parallel.

If you're entering from the U.S., there's limited parking at the library in a small adjacent lot. You can see American and Canadian border crossings shown on granite markers. 

An illegal border crossing can be quite costly

If you plan to visit The Haskell Free Library and Opera House, its address is 93 Caswell Ave., Derby Line, VT or 1 Church St. Stanstead, Quebec depending on where you're traveling from. 

FYI in reply to comment: Yes, as with many places, the Haskell Library was closed for a couple years when the pandemic cancelled everything. Initially, it closed for a week, then a month and then 2 years. During the shutdown, money was raised to install insulated windows in the opera house. Before this was done, winter performances couldn't be scheduled as the facility was too cold, the season now includes winter performances. As to a query as to which country owns the building, I couldn't find a definitive answer, perhaps it's owned by both countries

Did anyone say that Spring was here? It certainly was not Mother Nature who has sprung a late April Fools' Day weather event here in New England with a nor'easter. This was the 7 a.m. view outside from our apartment windows today. 

Finally, here's a shout-out to my brother on his birthday today. He's celebrating in our home state of NJ, where the weather is just as miserable but only rainy.

He's officially a senior citizen, just like ourselves. This posted before photo shows him celebrating a much earlier birthday. I hope he enjoys a 🎂 cake today as well !

We're thankful to be celebrating after all these years.

🎉 Happy Birthday 🎈