On Nov. 11, 1903, the town of Rockport accepted a $10,000 grant from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to build a public library. The Carnegie Library opened to the public on Feb. 3, 1906, standing at a prime location just across from Main Street and looking out over Sandy Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
The library served the town for many years with few changes. In 1964, an adult reading room was added to the west side of the building. At some point, a children’s room was set up in the building’s basement. The children’s room featured a statue by noted Rockport artist Richard Recchia, “Mother Goose.”
In 1993, the Rockport Public Library moved to its present location at 17 School Street, into the building that was formerly the George J. Tarr School and originally part of the Annisquam Cotton Mill. For many years after that, the old library stood vacant and fell into disrepair. In 2006, the town decided to put the property up for sale.
In 2007, a couple from Florida bought the building for approximately $500,000. They restored and renovated it into a private home. (An article about the renovation is here.) Two years later, they listed it for sale at nearly $3 million. Pictures of the home as it looks today can be seen here.
This postcard is undated and identifies no publisher. Based on the similarity of the reverse side to other postcards I have, I estimate it to be from around 1914.
Vintage Rockport 