This afternoon, from 2-5 pm, our town celebrated the grand re-opening of our library, named the Haston Free Public Library after the original donors. It was indeed a joyous occasion, as these renovations to the Main Street building are the culmination of ten years of planning, grant writing, fund raising, and finally construction.
North Brookfield’s original library, consisting of two rooms on the second floor of the Walker Block, opened to the public on November 26, 1879. A little over a decade later, two benefactors offered to donate $30,000 for the construction of a new library building; the town accepted this offer, and the Haston Free Public Library was dedicated on September 22, 1894. I was pleased to learn that the keynote address at this ceremony was delivered by G. Stanley Hall, then president of Clark University.
Over the years, the town continued to support the library, and services and materials expanded to meet the patrons’ needs. Then, as the library celebrated its centennial in 1994, the Board of Trustees, the library director, and the Friends of the Library met to begin planning for the library’s future. A needs assessment was done, and it was decided to apply for funds for improvements from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. To our delight, the town was awarded a $1.25 million state construction grant. As total costs were estimated at nearly $4 million, the town’s voters approved a property tax override to fund the project. In addition, the Friends of the Library spearheaded a capital campaign to raise additional money.
As I wandered through the beautifully furnished and decorated rooms on the three floors of the old building and the new annex, I reflected that in the long run, the effort and expenditures will surely be considered worthwhile. As our librarian says,
The Haston Free Public Library, with its long history of service to the community, is a fine and worthy example of the nation’s public libraries…This building will now provide greater opportunities for everyone to learn, to grow, and to share common interests.
I’d like to acknowledge everyone who helped ensure the success of the renovation project, but I’d exceed the quota for this blog! In lieu of a recitation of names, I’ll present some photos of the afternoon’s festivities.
The whole town is invited to the celebration.
Various important people spoke to the crowd.
Built of granite with a red slate roof, the old building is architecturally distinctive.
The new wing expands the space considerably and is ADA-compliant.
Afternoon sun pours in through the stained glass panes.
This mosaic floor in the old entryway was covered up for decades.
A young patron studies the guide to a painting donated by a local artist.
Elvira Haston seems pleased with her legacy.
