A recent lecture given by this columnist on libraries and literature in Essex County led to the unearthing of many interesting facts and stories about the development of public libraries in our local communities.
Marblehead's public library, where the talk was given, dates to 1876 and is named for the philanthropist Benjamin Abbot.
In the 1870s, Abbot donated to the town the sum of $103,000, a substantial portion of which was used to build a new town hall on the town training field. The first floor of the stunning new Abbot Hall housed the public library until 1954 when the present library was built on Pleasant Street.
Salem's public library opened in 1889, nine years after the city had rejected an offer of then-mayor Henry Kemble Oliver of his substantial private library for that purpose. The city's fear that it was not in a position to "to undertake the establishment of a library," would change in 1887 when the heirs of the great merchant-philanthropist John Bertram donated his Essex Street mansion to house a public library.
In later years, the main Salem Public Library would be augumented by three branches, all of which would eventually be closed in tougher economic times.
The public libraries in Peabody and Danvers share a common name — the Peabody Institute — and benefactor.
The great philanthropist George Peabody was born in 1795 in what is now Peabody and later moved to England where he made a fortune as an investment banker. In 1852, when Peabody and Danvers were known respectively as South Danvers and Danvers and were still a single community, Peabody thanked the citizens of his hometown by donating $20,000 with which to build a library for the promotion of their "knowledge and morality."
The building that would house the new library was erected on Main Street not far from his birthplace on Washington Street. In its collections are an extraordinary collection of bird prints by James Audubon and a miniature portrait of herself given to George Peabody by one of his biggest fans, Her Majesty Queen Victoria.
Then in 1856 Peabody donated another $10,000 for the establishment of a branch library in present-day Danvers. That library was housed initially in the town hall but was later able to move into a home of its own — and say good-bye to its "branch" status — thanks to an additional $40,000 grant from George Peabody. The present building was erected in the early 1890s after a fire consumed its predecessor.
Beverly's public library, housed in a magnificent Colonial Revival building just across the street from that community's ancient training ground, has an important collection of its own. When just a youngster growing up in Beverly, Will Barnet was introduced to the world of art by then-librarian Marjorie Stanton. Inspired by the art books in the library's collections, Barnet went on to a career in art and built a reputation as one of America's top printmakers and painters. He later moved to New York, but never forgot his roots.
Beginning in the early 1940s, Barnet began donating original prints to the library to repay the "debt of gratitude" he owed Marjorie Stanton.
The beautiful library in Manchester-by-the-Sea has connections not to a famous artist but to an equally well-known architect. Longtime summer resident T. Jefferson Coolidge provided the funding for the construction of the subdued granite structure, which was designed by Charles McKim. McKim is best known in the area as the lead architect for the Boston Public Library.
In neighboring Gloucester, another summer resident, Samuel Sawyer, gave the Gloucester Lyceum $10,000 in 1871 towards establishing a library that would serve the people of the city. Thirteen years later he donated a building to house the library's growing collections.
Today, the Sawyer Free Library has a newer and larger home next door on Dale Avenue. And while it sits in the shadow of City Hall it is technically not your usual, city-run public library. While it is substantially funded by the city, the Sawyer Free Library is still privately owned.
Rockport's library dates to the early 1870s and was originally located in the town hall. The library, however, was not free until 1892. Prior to that date residents paid 50 cents a year to subscribe.
Some of the other funds to support the library came from an interesting source. Under state law at the time all taxes raised from dog licenses were to be applied to public libraries.
In the early 1900s, Rockport accepted Andrew Carnegie's offer of $10,000 with which to erect a library building and in return agreed to maintain a free public library at a cost of not less than $1,000 a year.
For nearly a century, before moving to its current home on School Street, the library was at the intersection of Jewett and Cleaves streets in the Cape Ann town.
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Jim McAllister of Salem writes a weekly column on the region's history. Contact him at jim@nii.net.
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