Haskell Free Library and Opera House, Cultural center on Canada-US border in Stanstead, Canada.
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House is a library and opera house in Stanstead and Derby Line, where a black line marks the path of the border through reading rooms, shelves, and the audience area. The gray granite building shows rounded towers and tall windows in a Victorian manner.
A mother and son built the house in 1901 to give both towns access to books and performances without requiring residents to complete border formalities. The architects chose the border line itself as the centerpiece of the design.
The name honors a benefactor who used her fortune to create a building meant to serve two communities as one. Visitors today still see the original wood paneling and reading room where residents from both towns borrow newspapers and books.
The entrance sits on the American side, but Canadian visitors can enter the building and explore the rooms without checking in at border control first. A marked path leads back to the Canadian side after the visit.
The stage area lies entirely in Canada, while most seats in the audience sit in the United States. Performers on stage change countries when they step down into the hall or move sideways into the wings.
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