The staff at the Camden Public Library is "thrilled and proud" of the
designation of the Amphitheatre and Library as a National Historic Landmark,
according to library director Nikki Maounis. The announcement came on Monday
from the Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Director of the National
Park Service Jonathan B. Jarvis.

 

We are thrilled to be recognized in this way," said Camden Library Director
Nikki Maounis. "I would like to thank Dave Jackson, our Parks Director, who
spent several years researching, writing, and presenting this proposal to
the National Parks Service. This national designation recognizes Camden's
historical contribution to American arts and culture. The national landmark
designation will be invaluable to the library in our ongoing efforts to
maintain and preserve this beautiful space for future generations. The
designation puts the library on the map, quite literally. And that's a good
thing for public libraries everywhere as well as for the Town of Camden."

 

"It's a dream come true," responded Dave Jackson. 

 

Maine's Senators Susan Collins and Angus King praised the announcement that
the Camden Amphitheatre and Public Library has been selected as a new
national historic landmark. The grounds of the Amphitheatre and library are
among the few public projects of Fletcher Steele, one of America's premier
practitioners of 20th-century landscape design. According to the National
Historic Landmarks Program, it is an outstanding representation of the
contributions made by the landscape architecture profession, private
benefactors, and national associations to develop public landscapes in the
United States that celebrated natural regional beauty, scenic character, and
rich cultural history.

 

"The Camden Library is a treasure of the Maine coast and is a testament to
the pride and determination of the residents of Camden," said Senators
Collins and King in a joint statement. "The Camden Amphitheatre retains its
historic integrity, setting, original materials, and the quality of original
workmanship and design. It continues to serve its historic purposes, as a
public entertainment space, park, and garden for visitors and residents of
the Town of Camden." 

 

The Camden Amphitheatre and Public Library are among 13 new national
historic landmarks designated by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and
Director of the National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. National
historic landmarks are nationally significant historic places that possess
exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of
the United States.

 

For pictures of our beautiful Amphitheatre, go to
http://www.librarycamden.org/news/18173/camden-amphitheatre-and-public-libra
ry-designated-a-national-historic-landmark/#more-

 

 

 

Nikki Maounis

Director, Camden Public Library

55 Main St.

Camden, ME  04843

(207) 236-3440

www.librarycamden.org