The Westport Library opened on April 8, 1908, across from the original reading room. Morris Ketchum Jesup, a prominent New York banker and philanthropist, generously funded the library for his hometown and his relative, Dr. Ebenezer Jesup, once owned the stretch of land along what is now Jesup Road and the Saugatuck’s back bay, now known as Jesup Green.
As Westport evolved, the Library outgrew the 1908 building and in 1986, moved to its current home overlooking Jesup Green. Major updates followed in 1998 and again with the 2019 “Transformation Project,” which reconfigured spaces for events, learning, and flexible community use. The Westport Library is a civic hub in town, both honoring the Jesup legacy in name and place.
