History of Prince Memorial Library

The First Social Library of Cumberland was founded shortly after Cumberland became a town on March 19, 1821, and the Library's book collection was housed in private residences. The joint will of Carrol D. and Annie L. Prince of Woodfords listed a bequest of $35,000 to the town Library. Prince Memorial Library was incorporated in November 1921, and the Georgian-Colonial style brick Library was built on land donated by Dr. and Mrs. John R. Thomes. The Library was designed by architect George Chase Emery of Massachusetts, and was built for $20,000 by contractor F.A. Rumery of Portland. Prince Memorial Library opened to the public on January 7, 1923, and more than 600 books from the early Cumberland Library joined the new books on the shelves.

A 40-foot-by-20-foot addition to the Library opened in 1959. The addition was donated by Paul E. Merrill in memory of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Merrill. Wallace Merrill's mother, Mrs. Harriet C. Merrill, was one of the original corporators of the Library, and served as both chairperson of the book committee and interim librarian. The addition was built by contractor Clifford L. Weeks of Portland, and the original building was redecorated and furnished with a new heating plant.

The Town of Cumberland assumed the assets and responsibilities of the Library in 1968, and in 1972 North Yarmouth, whose residents had always used Prince Memorial Library, began contributing to its support. In 1982 the Library was made a department within Cumberland town government, under the direct supervision of the town manager.

A 1985 consultant's report recommended expanding the Library, and Cumberland voters and the Cumberland Town Council authorized a $700,000 bond issue for the addition.  Terrien Architects of Portland designed the 8,100-square-foot addition, and contractor Arthur C. Dudley of Standish received the construction bid. Groundbreaking occurred on October 10, 1986, and the new building was dedicated on October 1, 1987.

The Prince Memorial Library Young Adult Challenge was launched on January 18, 1995, when an anonymous resident of Cumberland pledged $35,000, provided equal amounts could be raised from the town of Cumberland and the residents of Cumberland and North Yarmouth. On May 16, 1995, the final progress report listed a total of $115,745 for the campaign. Private contributions amounted to $45,745, with 346 donors giving an average of $132.21. The town matched the $35,000 pledged by the anonymous donor. The funds resulted in a 728-square-foot addition to Prince Memorial Library to house young adult materials.

In August 1998, public access computer catalogs were installed in the Library, and after a six-month interim period, the card catalog was discarded. In April 2000, the Library's catalog was posted to the World Wide Web; patrons can now search the Library's holdings from home at any time:  Library Catalog