Celebrating the Legacy of Edna St. Vincent Millay
Millay House Rockland is a nonprofit organization that champions poets, as well as creators and practitioners of all the arts. It celebrates the legacy of Edna St. Vincent Millay and the rich heritage of midcoast Maine. Central to the mission is rejuvenating the literary landmark that is the birthplace of the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet. Millay was born in Rockland on February 22, 1892.
The mirror image double-house, built in 1891 on an elm-lined street in a booming seacoast city, will now be a home for literary and educational programs serving all ages. The house, and eventually its garden, will be a setting in which to explore the poet's life and works, and to imagine for a bit what it was like to be born into a working class family more than 100 years ago. The house is now nearly restored and re-purposed, an act of saving place, creating a home for Millay House Rockland. We are pleased to be playing a role in regional heritage conservation.
Our Mission
To further Edna St. Vincent Millay’s legacy by preserving her birthplace, supporting writers, nurturing literary learning, and cultivating community.
Our Vision
To carry forward Edna St. Vincent Millay‘s legacy and values as a cornerstone of literary arts in Midcoast Maine and beyond, and to serve as birthplace and beacon for generations of writers to come.
Our Values
Sense of Place
Community and Collaboration
Artistic Promise & Excellence
Creative Expression and Risk
Equity and Social Impact
Joy and Celebration
Creative Beginnings
A Sense of Our Values:
Sense of Place: We are rooted in the vibrant land, history, and arts scene of Midcoast Maine—the place that shaped Millay’s work and continues to be an inspiration to many.
Community and Collaboration: We believe literature thrives in connection. We collaborate with local arts organizations, connect emerging and established writers, and foster community between the local and national literary scenes.
Artistic Promise & Excellence: We are lovers of the well-crafted and appreciators of beauty. We champion emerging writers from unexpected places and are an incubator for artistic excellence.
Creative Expression and Risk: We believe artists—following Millay’s example—deserve the space to freely express themselves, take creative risks, and push the boundaries of their craft. Millay took risks in both her art and her life, experimenting across poetry, plays, and form, and also redefining what women could say personally and politically.
Equity and Social Impact: We believe in amplifying voices that might not be heard without support, including working-class writers, women, LGBTQ writers, writers of color, Indigenous writers, and writers who engage with issues of civic engagement and social justice.
Joy and Celebration: We honor Millay’s spirit by creating spaces for joy, connection, and shared artistic experience as she embraced life with wit, revelry, and celebration.
Creative Beginnings: We believe in the future artists and writers to come and understand the importance of artists receiving support at the right time. We provide opportunities to youth, emerging, and mid-career writers and strive to be the place where the next Vincent gets her start.
