LIBRARY GROUNDS

In the heart of downtown Gloucester, the Sawyer Free Library’s grounds provide a vibrant and accessible public park. Perfect for community gatherings and passive outdoor recreation, these landscape spaces serve as a vital natural habitat for local birds and butterflies. Whether you want to meander along the path, read quietly on a bench, observe local flora or share a picnic on a blanket, these grounds are designed for Cape Ann residents and visitors to connect with the natural world.

NATIVE LANDSCAPE

To support the Sawyer Free Library’s sustainability goals, the gardens and perimeter beds around the parking lot and west entrance feature native and drought resistant plantings. The gardens are maintained with rainwater collected and stored onsite, creating a lush, environmentally conscious green space.

The Sawyer Free Library’s Public Gardens were generously supported by the Citizens of Gloucester through the Community Preservation Act in 2025.

THE AMPHITHEATER

In the prominent northeast corner of the grounds is a curving, red bricked amphitheater featuring a sail awning. This picturesque outdoor space serves as a welcoming venue for family concerts, storytimes and engaging library programs under the open sky.

In August 2021, the Library commemorated the amphitheater’s new sail awning in memory of one of Gloucester’s preeminent and beloved public citizens, the late Janis Davidson Stelluto.
Photo by Leigh Chodos https://chodosinc.com

THE FOUNTAIN PLAZA

The Fountain Plaza welcomes visitors to the Sawyer Free Library from Dale Avenue and the cultural nexus of City Hall and the Cape Ann Museum. At the center of the plaza is the iconic Sea Harvest Fountain, a 4-foot-tall bronze sculpture by Gloucester native and prestigious Sawyer Medal winner Aristides Demetrios (1932-2021). The sculpture features a dozen different species of native fish found directly in the waters off Cape Ann with the fish arranged ecologically by their natural ocean habitats. Small top-feeding mackerel circle the peak, while larger, bottom-feeding species like cod and haddock swim along the base. Other species represented are weakfish, deep sea bass, redfish, sculpin, striped bass, pollock and cunnard.

The Sea Harvest Fountain provides a calming resting place in Gloucester’s urban downtown with the streams of spouting water from the mouths of the fish mesmerizing people young and old for generations.

Demetrios was the son of George Demetrios, a classical sculptor trained by Antoine Bourdelle, a student of Auguste Rodin, and Virginia Lee Burton, the beloved children’s book author and illustrator. Beyond Gloucester, Aristides Demetrios achieved major acclaim in California, creating landmark pieces like the White Memorial Fountain at Stanford University and public installations at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The Sea Harvest Fountain is recorded in the Local Historic District and the Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places.