Margaret Chase Smith Library

About

Located on fifteen acres overlooking the Kennebec River in Senator Margaret Chase Smith's hometown of Skowhegan, the Margaret Chase Smith Library is an archive, museum, educational facility, and public policy center dedicated to preserving her legacy and promoting civic engagement. Dedicated in August 1982 and opened to researchers the following year, the library is owned by the Margaret Chase Smith Foundation and operated by the University of Maine. The collection centers on the political papers, documents, honors, photographs, and memorabilia from Senator Smith's thirty-two-year congressional career — including her landmark 1950 Declaration of Conscience speech, in which she became the first U.S. senator to publicly oppose McCarthyism. The library actively hosts field trips, school programming, and a student essay contest, making it one of central Maine's most substantive civic education destinations. Summer programming for children has included visits from the Challenger Learning Center, UMaine Touch Tank, and the Northern Stars Planetarium, broadening the library's appeal well beyond research use. Museum and house tours are available by appointment; the library also hosts a National History Day affiliate program for Maine students. Admission is free.

Subject Areas

Best For