Fanny Holt Ames (1888-1986) was the second wife of William Hadwen Ames, son of Oliver Ames, and he built his residence, Spring Hill, on Elm Street. The house still stands today. Young Fanny, born in Natick, MA, attended business school, went on to work as a secretary, and that is how she met William Hadwen Ames- in his Boston office. They married in 1916. Mr. Ames’s first wife, Daisy, had died in 1914. Unfortunately, Fanny had little time with her new husband, he died in 1920 when she was quite young- only 30 years old. In memory of her husband Fanny gifted the Children’s Wing at Ames Free Library in 1931 and her portrait hangs near the children’s room today. In addition, Mrs. Ames served on the Board of Trustees of the library for 40 years. In 1962 Fanny and her sister Edna Louise Holt (Louise) moved to Grafton, VT where they lived when they were not travelling. Mrs. Ames visited historic sites and enjoyed cruising. Some ports of call were Karnak in Egypt, Vienna, Isfahan, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Naples, and Ceylon. Fanny kept diaries of her travels and photographic plates. Discovered in 2000, the diaries were transcribed and published by the Ames Free Library. The book, The Travel Journals of Fanny Holt Ames 1954-1973, which includes her photos, is available at the Easton Historical Society and Museum or on our website. The Ames Free Library has a copy in the reference section. Fanny took good care of her inheritance from her husband William and continued endowing her husband’s charities, including Ames Free Library, after his death. In 1983 Fanny and her sister Louise suffered a car accident in Vermont and Fanny was killed. Louise was hospitalized for weeks and was very appreciative of the fact that she could afford excellent health care. Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend, Vermont became very dear to her. Her doctor, Dr. Bob Backus, made regular house calls and remembered Louise as, “a diminutive, cultured, twinkling-eyed New England lady”. Realizing not everyone was as fortunate as she was, Louise set up a trust which she named The FANNY HOLT AMES and EDNA LOUISE HOLT CHARITABLE FUND. In both sisters’ names, its purpose was to meet the medical needs of the Grafton area community and particularly benefit Cottage Hospital in Townshend VT. In 2000 the trust was worth over $30 million. Louise was 97 when she died.  Fanny Holt Ames and her sister Louise very much enjoyed travelling but are said to have been relatively frugal in their Vermont life. Both were philanthropic, sharing their good fortune. The Grafton area community is still enjoying their generosity today.
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