FLORENCE BAKER KARPIN MEMORIAL LIBRARY

Established in October 2016 at the Grafton Historical Society Museum

Florence Baker Karpin

July 20, 1924 - March 24, 2014

A native of Lynbrook, New York,  Florence moved with her husband and children in 1958 to "Sevenhearth Farm" in Grafton, Vermont.  She was a prolific artist and writer, author and illustrator of books, including children's stories, short fiction and poetry.  She excelled at portrait and landscape painting, working in oils, pastels, watercolor and pen & ink.  Her work has been exhibited at the Vermont State House, at colleges, in juried art shows, and held in numerous collections.  Although not formally trained, she was accepted into the Southern Vermont Branch of the National League of American Pen Women as both an author and a visual artist, and went on to serve as the branch's President. 

Her love for Grafton was evident in her involvement with the community, where she served in the Women's Community Club and on the Board of the Grafton Historical Society.  She enjoyed being a volunteer hostess at the GHS museum.  Her original artwork and hand lettering still graces many Grafton locations, where she designed the community's signs and logos.  

Moved by the beauty of nature that she saw all around her in Vermont, she had an irrepressible spirit to constantly create.  When her eyesight failed and she could no longer paint or draw, she turned to poetry, which she could still see to compose using large type.   Despite the adversity of her diminished sight, she published three well received poetry collections when in her eighties.

Her collection of books are in our library along with many other Grafton authors.