The Haskell Free Library and Opera House straddles the Canada-United States border and, since its construction in 1901, has become a symbol of harmony between the two countries. Given to the community in memory of Carlos F. Haskell by his wife Martha and son Horace Haskell, it was designed by Boston architects James Ball, a Rock Island native, and his partner Gilbert Smith. A black line painted on the floor marks the border through the center of the building, with the library stacks, the Opera House stage, and some seats in Québec, Canada, and the rest of the seats and the main entrances in Vermont, U.S.A. The structure rests on a granite block foundation, with cut granite blocks on the first story and yellow bricks on the second bearing the load of the building. The Opera House's hand-painted scenery, roll-up curtain, and balcony-level frescoes are the work of Vermont-born Boston artist Erwin LaMoss. It has been classified as a historic site by the Québec, Canadian, and United States governments.