Library Building

Babcock Library – Knowlton Memorial Hall // 1924

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In the 1840s, Archibald Babcock (1780-1862) from Ashford, Connecticut, went west to engage in the California Gold Rush to seek his fortune. He did well and upon his return, moved to Charlestown, Massachusetts and began purchasing property for redevelopment. Upon his death in 1862, Mr. Babcock bequeathed $3,000 to the Town of Ashford start a “free” library there. For the next 60 years the library was located in a variety of private homes and country stores in town until the 1920s when this stone structure was built to house the town hall and library. Construction was made possible by a gift from Charles Knowlton, whose family had lived in the area since the 18th century. When built, it featured a number of modern innovations, including electrical service (generated on site), and steam heat. In addition to town offices and the library, the building also has an auditorium which is used for town meetings. Architect Herbert Loud furnished plans for the building which is rustic Arts and Crafts in style with randomly laid fieldstone walls with wide mortared joints. The roof eaves show exposed rafter tails below the shallow hipped roof.

Haskell Free Library and Opera House // 1901

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How many buildings do you know of that straddle two countries?! Well, here is one of the most iconic buildings in Vermont, the Haskell Free Library and Opera House of Derby. The building was gifted to the villages of Derby Line, Vermont and Rock Island, Quebec, by Martha Stewart Haskell and her son, Horace Stewart Haskell, who wanted to leave their mark on the town. The building was designed by James Ball of Rock Island, Quebec and is a high-style structure comprised of both a library and opera house for residents. Designed in a eclectic mix of Romanesque Revival and Classical Revival, there is a lot to look at from both countries! Some of the outstanding features of the building include the structural and ornamental use of granite, stained glass windows imported from Scotland, ornate fireplaces and rich woodworking on the library interior, and one of the most elaborate opera house interiors in a completely preserved condition in Vermont.

George Hail Free Library // 1888

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Nearly every New England town has a library, and some are lucky enough to have a historic library building! Warren, Rhode Island’s library was established in 1871 as the Warren Public Reading Room Association in a second floor room inside a commercial building. In 1882, Martha Hail in her will, made a substantial contribution to the library association on behalf of her late  husband, George Hail. Constructed in 1888 and dedicated in January 1889, the Romanesque Revival style building was designed by Providence architectural firm of William Walker and Sons, the building cost just over $16,000 was constructed of granite.

Soldier’s Memorial Library of Mansfield // 1901

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Arguably the most beautiful building in Mansfield, Massachusetts is the Soldier’s Memorial Library in the center of town. Constructed in 1901, the Soldiers’ Memorial Library is a well-preserved example of 19th
century High Victorian architecture with Shingle style elements, designed by the prominent Boston architectural firm of Peabody & Stearns. In as early as 1896, the idea of constructing a building as a memorial to the soldiers who died in the Civil War had prominent local members of the community. In 1898, a relatively new resident in town, Mrs. Elizabeth Noble, donated a parcel of land for the building with the stipulation that the first floor was to be used as a library and the second floor as an “audience room”,
banquet room, and kitchen for the use of the G.A.R. The architects created one of their most significant civic buildings with an interesting juxtaposition of Gothic elements with Shingle style details. The Gothic lancet window and door surround blends surprisingly well with the use of rubblestone on the first story with buttresses and shingle siding above which give the building a fortress-like appearance.

Ridgefield Public Library // 1901

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The Ridgefield Public Library is an intriguing Beaux Arts style building from the turn of the 20th century. Built in 1901, the brick structure replaced the Smith Tavern, a 1798 frame structure built by Amos Smith right on Main Street. In 1900 the Smith Family sold the property to James N. Morris who had this library built in memory of his wife, Elizabeth, donating it to the town. Architect Raleigh G. Gildersleeve is credited with the design which is comprised of a one-story building constructed of brick with cast stone trim details and ironwork at the door. The library was given later additions, which are recessive in location and detailing to let the original building shine, as it should!

Yale University – Dwight Hall // 1842

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One of the most architecturally significant college buildings in the United States, Dwight Hall was designed to house the growing book collection of Yale College as its library. The former Yale College Library, now Dwight Hall, represents a significant shift in Yale’s campus architecture from Georgian and Federal brick buildings to the Gothic mode which the campus is largely known for today. Dwight Hall was designed by local architect Henry Austin with the guidance of esteemed architects Ithiel Town and Alexander Jackson Davis, both experts in early high-style Gothic buildings in America. The design, to me, resembles the 1443 King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, England. The structure is constructed of brownstone from Portland, Connecticut, and it is composed of a central block with two smaller flanking wings on either side connected by smaller linking spaces. At the yard facade, two octagonal towers with domed copper roofs rise, flanking a large, pointed lancet arch window that extends above the doorway. The library was outgrown fairly quickly, necessitating an annex next door and eventually collections were transferred to Sterling Memorial Library in 1930, the Old Library was converted to a chapel and community service building and is known as Dwight Hall.

West Gouldsboro Village Library // 1907

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One of the few libraries in Maine built in the Tudor Revival style can be found in the quaint coastal town of Gouldsboro. This library was built in 1907 from plans by Maine architect Frederick L. Savage after members of town sought a community space where they could meet and check out books. The small one-story building sits upon a tall fieldstone foundation and with a stuccoed exterior above. The entrance consists of a single door flanked by sidelight windows topped by an elliptical hood, above which sits within the half-timbered gable front. The small library was in operation until 1956. It reopened briefly in 1990, but closed again. It is owned by the West Gouldsboro Village Improvement Association. Historic library buildings are the best!

Former South Britain Public Library // 1904

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Historic library buildings might just be my favorite building type in New England. This charming example is the former South Britain Public Library in Southbury, Connecticut. The library was constructed in 1904 and blends Shingle and Arts & Crafts styles with the shingled walls atop a raised rubblestone foundation with a pyramidal roof with broad overhanging eaves with exposed rafter ends. The library was outgrown and rather than add onto the small building on its lot, a new library was built in 1969. The former library is now maintained by the Southbury Historic Buildings Commission and is operated by the Southbury Historical Society as a local history and genealogy research center.

East Blue Hill Library // 1920

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Every village needs a library, and East Blue Hill is no different! Without easy access to the main Blue Hill library, a group of “willing workers” amassed a collection of books with the hopes to donate to a future village library organization. A campaign to build the present building began in 1914 with the acquisition of land adjacent to the village post office, with major fundraising undertaken in 1917. The building, completed in 1920, was designed by John W. Merrow, a New York City theatrical architect and is an uncommon example of a small, Arts and Crafts style library in the state of Maine.

Friend Memorial Library // 1912

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The Friend Memorial Public Library in Brooklin, Maine was built in 1912 on land donated three brothers in the Friend family. The brothers, Leslie, Robert and Victor Friend were born in Brooklin, but were raised in Melrose, Massachusetts. There, they made a fortune producing Friend’s Brick Oven Baked Beans. With their new wealth, the brothers had the bright idea of building a roller-skating rink for the enjoyment of the Brooklin community. As the need for a library overtook that of a roller rink, the brothers sought to cement their name in the town’s history by funding a new library building. The previous library was located in a small space in the IOOF Hall nearby (featured previously) and a new, purpose-built space for a library was a desire for the small community. William Nelson Wilkins, an architect of Magnolia, Massachusetts, and husband of Brooklin native Ella McFarland, was hired to furnish plans on the new building which was built in 1912 in the Colonial Revival style. In 1940, Katerine and E.B. White (author and summer resident), Owen Flye and others were instrumental in revitalizing the library, increasing the collections and hours of operations. About ten years ago, the library was restored and renovated inside by Elliott Architects.