Thomas A. Curtis
Access: Always available.
Directions: Walk out of Searles' north-facing doors and look towards the Chamberlain
statue.
GIS: 43° 54‘ 35.94“ N --- 69°
57‘ 47.23“ W
---Photos follow--
If you stand in the walkway between Pickard Theater and Searles Science Building and look towards the Joshua L. Chamberlain statue, you will be looking in the general direction of the spot where Thomas A. Curtis used to have a small shack just off the Bowdoin campus.
Curtis arrived at Bowdoin in the summer of 1840 as a traveling entertainer with a small puppet show. He soon dropped his entertainment career and invested himself as Bowdoin's personal handyman, running errands, mending clothes, cooking, and cleaning. He also earned a bit of a reputation for being somewhat mad. Indeed, there was even a rumor that he had come to Brunswick after having murdered his wife in lands unknown.
Curtis lived alone in his shack for almost 30 years. When he died, it was discovered that his humble dwelling contained a large collection of books. Since he did not seem to have any living relatives, Bowdoin College added his collection to its own.
