After securing a charter in Vermont in 1908 for the library and opera house that he and his mother had founded, Col. Haskell who ensured that the institution would be able to support itself for years to come. When Martha Haskell died in 1906, it was Col. Horace Haskell (1860-1940) oversaw every aspect of the planning, construction, furnishing, management, and, ultimately, the endowment of the institution that bears his family’s name. According to a document on the wall of the library, Martha Haskell’s vision was “ample proof of her public spirit and large-hearted generosity.”īusinessman Col. This was the genesis of the world’s only international library and opera house. A citizen of the two communities - and the two countries - Martha Haskell envisaged a library and opera house built in her community in such a way as to serve people living on both sides of the line, without their having to pass through customs. In later life, she lived in Derby Line, Vermont, within sight of the Canadian border.

She married an American with business interests on the Canadian side of the border. The Haskell Free Library and Opera House was conceived and financed by Martha Haskell, together with her son, Colonel Horace Stewart Haskell, whose wish was to provide the border communities with a centre for learning, cultural enrichment and popular entertainment.Įastern Townships native Martha Stewart Haskell (1831-1906) was the daughter of American-born parents. This remarkable institution has attracted attention from around the world, and has been classified as a historic site by the governments of Canada, the United States and Quebec. The pride of Stanstead, Quebec, and Derby Line, Vermont, the Haskell Free Library and Opera House was constructed deliberately on the boundary line separating Canada from the United States.

The event was witnessed by a crowd of onlookers, including the editor of the Stanstead Journal, who reported that “while all expected to see something good none realized the excellence of the scenery and stage equipment until they had seen it.”Ĭreated in the United States for an international facility that is itself a symbol of the amity that exists between two countries, the Haskell’s magnificent curtain is truly one of the treasures of the cross-border community that is Stanstead, Quebec, and Derby Line, Vermont. Their installation on the stage, which is located on the Canadian side of the Haskell Opera House, took place on May 16, 1904. The curtain, sets and stage equipment were created in Boston and transported by train to the border community. Together, they constitute one of the most complete sets of their kind in North America. The curtain, along with the backdrop, sets, and other elements of stage scenery and equipment, are believed to be the only surviving examples of the work of the celebrated Vermont-born, Boston theatre artist, Erwin LaMoss (1854-1910). Painted on Russian linen, and measuring 7.6-metres x 8.5-metres, it is raised and lowered on special occasions, such as on opening and closing nights every concert season. border in Stanstead, Quebec, and Derby Line, Vermont, between 19.įeaturing a splendid, romanticized painting of the harbour of Venice, the curtain is a fine example of turn-of-the-century theatre décor. Drop Curtain, Haskell Free Library and Opera Houseįor over a century, this famous drop curtain has graced the stage of the Haskell Free Library and Opera House, which was built astride the Canada-U.S.

Haskell free library