Samuel P. Fiske established the Fiske Free Library in 1873 with 2,000 volumes from his personal library and $5,000 for the purchase of additional books. An additional $5,000 was given by Mr. and Mrs. Fiske to establish a permanent trust fund. Housed first in Stevens High School, the library moved in 1877 into the Bailey Block with more room and easier access. By 1902 space was again tight and Andrew Carnegie was approached for funding. In 1903, with $15,000 in funding from Carnegie, ground was broken for the present building. An addition in 1922 and a full renovation in 1966 expanded the entire building for library use.

Opera House SquareOpen-Public ParkClaremont Literary Walking Tour - Stop #2You are in "The Square". It's a square, but it's round. Five streets radiate out from the circle. The National Bank and Town Hall on your left and beyond that the park and Carnegie Library. Behind you the old hotel. Down the main street is the five and dime and the theater. One of the streets leads to the Low Village. You're in Claremont, right? No, you're in Wrightsville. Actually you're in BOTH!. Claremont is Ellery Queen's Wrightsville, the fictitious town in Calamity Town and other Ellery Queen mystery novels and short stories.

Sullivan StreetEmpty LotPrivate-Not open to the public.On this site stood a 2-story wood-frame house--the birthplace of Constance Fenimore Woolson. Built in 1834, this house was demolished in 1930 to make way for the 900+ seat Magnet Theater, which burned down in 1973. The lot has been empty since the theater burned.

Sullivan StreetPrivate - Not open to the public.Claremont Literary Walking Tour - Stop #4Built in 1928 for Claremont's newspaper, the Daily Eagle, this was originally a one-story building with a street facade of yellow brick. The second floor was added in the mid-1940s. The building has been renovated to serve as transitional housing.

Prospect StreetPrivate - Not open to the publicClaremont Literary Walking Tour - Stop #5 Built in 1879, this was the home of Otis F. R. Waite. Waite learned the printing trade in New York and worked in several newspapers in Hew Hampshire and Massachusetts. He worked his way up to editor and publisher of several newspapers including the National Eagle in Claremont. Waite also held several political offices during his lifetime.

Pleasant StreetPrivate - Not open to the public.Claremont Literary Walking Tour - Stop #6This house was built around 1856 by Silas Noyes. Melvin Colby bought the house about 1903. The Colby's lived here close to 90 years, until the death of their daughter, Elinor. Elinor and her brother, Carroll were raised here.

Pleasant StreetPrivate - Not open to the public.This house with its south-facing front door dates from the mid - 1850s. It was built as a private residence. In 1864 the Congregational Church, just down the street, bought the house for use as the church parsonage. Reverend Edward Clark was the first minister of the church to use the parsonage.

Summer StreetPrivate -- Not Open to PublicClaremont Literary Walking Tour - Stop #8This impressive home was built about 1820 by the Reverend James Howe. Howe, "a gentleman of the old school known for his short clothes, long stockings, and knee and shoe buckles", was the Rector of Union Church in West Claremont. The House passed to Alpheus F. Snow, and then to Daniel Johnson, agent of the Monadnock Mills who expanded the house and added the Mansard roof. In more recent memory the home was owned by Dr. Irving Crandall.

Bond StreetPrivate - Not Open to PublicClaremont Literary Walking Tour -- Stop #9George P. Hunton purchased this house in 1894 for his family residence and immediately set about remodeling the building. Hunton was a businessman operating a clothing store. He built two business blocks and had other real estate ventures in Claremont.

Broad StreetPrivate - Not Open to the PublicClaremont Literary Walking Tour--Stop 10All that remains of this once grand house is the altered front wall and front porch. Built in 1875, this was the home of Hosea Parker. Following his death in 1921, the house was the summer home of Parker's daughter and grandchildren until 1957 when they sold the house. The house was purchased by the Claremont Moose and in 1967 they extensively remodeled the building adding to the first floor and removing the upper floors.

Broad StreetSchool Building - Limited AccessClaremont Literary Walking Tour--Stop 11Education has been an important part of Claremont's history from Father Virgil Barber's Academy to St. Mary's School and Stevens High School.In 1866 Paran Stevens donated $10,000.00 to his hometown for the building of a high school on condition that the town match his donation.

This is the end of the tour.