When this building, now the Westbrook Historical Society Museum, opened in 1905 as the Westbrook Public Library there was no radio, no television, in fact there was no electricity in town. There were books available to residents but they were kept in the minister’s house, or the railroad station, or in the town hall and perhaps not always available. An accessible Public Library opened a window on the whole world for people to explore. The Library provided opportunities for self-teaching; for better understanding their own government and for discovering the joys of reading and learning.
This handsome and distinctive building surely heightened the experience of visiting the library and was a source of Town pride. Prominently located on the Green it indicates the importance that residents attached to literacy and education.
Today, the Museum houses collections of historical artifacts and research materials.