James E Nichols Memorial Library

About Us:

The NML is a Free Library, offering its services without a fee or residency requirement.   The Library is part of the CH Village  Historic District, which is listed with the National Register of Historic Places.  Access our catalog, read about our borrowing policies and services, find out about upcoming events, and browse new books. We offer computer and wireless internet access.

The Nichols Memorial Library is named for James E. Nichols (1845-1914) who gave the Library to the town as a family memorial.  Born in Meredith NH,  Nichols made his fortune in Boston and New York.  His firm, Austin-Nichols (NYC), was a grocery supplier to small retail markets across the Northeast and Midwest.    In 1909, Nichols offered  to build and endow a library for Center Harbor, where his parents had settled.  Nichols stipulated that the library be "free and open to all," which it is to this day.

The first library in Center Harbor was the CH Library Association, an independent library formed by the Sons of Temperance in 1889.