John Jermain Memorial Library

The John Jermain Memorial Library is a public library located in Sag Harbor, Suffolk County, New York. Built in 1910, it serves the residents of the Sag Harbor Union Free School District, which includes the Village of Sag Harbor, the Village of North Haven, Noyac, and Mount Misery, Eastville, and Baypoint neighborhoods. It is a contributing structure to the National Register Sag Harbor Historic District and since 2015, a founding member of the Sag Harbor Cultural District.
The library was funded and gifted to the people of Sag Harbor by philanthropist Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage, who lived in what is now the Sag Harbor Whaling Museum. Named in honor of her grandfather, Major John Jermain, the Greek classical revival building was designed by Augustus N. Allen. The glass dome on the third floor rotunda was built by the R. Guastavino Company. On October 10, 1910, the doors opened to the public. Owing to the large immigrant population of Sag Harbor in the early 20th century, the library opened with a large collection of books in Polish, German, Italian, French, and Hebrew. Olive Pratt Young was the first librarian. Soon after she was hired, English classes for immigrants were also offered, along with cultural activities, lectures, exhibits, and starting in 1917, Victrola listening nights. In 1911, Sage helped finance local pharmacist and Algonquian linguist William Wallace Tooker’s book Indian Place-Names on Long Island. The book was published for the library by G.P. Putnam’s Sons. Along with the book, Tooker’s personal library and a portion of his personal papers were donated to the library. With Sage’s own personal donations of objects and documents, the History Room collection was formed.

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