Lucius Beebe Memorial Library
The Lucius Beebe Memorial Library is the main library for the town of Wakefield, Massachusetts. The building that currently holds the town's main library was opened in 1923 and is named after the first library commissioner.
History
Originally, the town of Wakefield, Massachusetts, was named South Reading and its first library was called the Social Library and was organized in the early part of the nineteenth century as a subscription library. The library's collection consisted mostly of theological works. This library was not very successful and many subscribers soon withdrew their support. In 1831, the South Reading Franklin Library opened and this subscription library consisted mostly of books on art, science, history, and medicine. In 1834, these two libraries merged and retained the name of Franklin Library.
In March 1856, the town approved the creation of a public library to be supported by local taxation. A committee was appointed and by the summer of 1856, the public library opened on the first floor of the old Town House. The library circulated 4,135 books the first six months it was opened. In 1857, the town sought to expand the library and appointed Lucius Beebe as chair of the library committee. This committee received an appropriation of $300 to purchase books and pay the salary of the librarian. By 1859, the library had grown to 1,678 volumes. The first librarian was noted as a Miss E.M. Newhall who was replaced in 1859 by Mrs. Emily C. Poland who served until 1866.[1]
In 1868, Cyrus Wakefield, the namesake of the future town, donated a house to be used by the city. One-half of the first floor of this building was dedicated as the new library space. Lucius Beebe donated $500 to the library and, as a result, the town renamed the library as the "Beebe Public Library."
In 1871, a new town hall was built and the town was renamed Wakefield. Several months later the library was moved to the new Wakefield town hall. The library continued to rapidly grow and by 1900 the library board sought funding for a new building. After many failed attempts, a committee met in 1916 to buy land for a new library building in the downtown district. The committee agreed to buy land on the corner of Main and Avon Streets. The residents raised $12,000 for the land in a civic campaign. In December 1916, Junius Beebe, the son of the late Lucius Beebe, donated $60,000 for the construction of the library building. Construction was delayed, however, by the entry of the country into World War I. Construction did begin eventually in 1922 after the cornerstone was laid and was completed and opened on April 15, 1923.[1]
The Building
The building is constructed in the neo-classical style. It was originally described as New England colonial with Georgian influence built in the Greek style. There is also a large reading room adorned with medallions that pay homage to literary giants such as Homer, Cicero, Shakespeare, and Ralph Waldo Emerson.[2] The medallions were constructed by Bennidetto Chippolini.
References
- ^ a b Ingram, E. (1925). The Lucius Beebe memorial library, an historical sketch, Wakefield, MA, Wakefield Item Press.
- ^ "Beebe Library (Wakefield MA) : Quiet Reading Room". Lucius Beebe Memorial Library. Archived from the original on 2015-02-08. Retrieved 2015-02-21.
- v
- t
- e
- Incorporated in 1812
- Based in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
- Population 27,090
Government |
---|
- Camp Curtis Guild
- Center for Applied Special Technology
- Daily Item
- Daily Times Chronicle
- Hockey East (headquartered in Wakefield)
- Lucius Beebe Memorial Library
- MBTA bus routes
- MBTA stations
- Wakefield
- Greenwood
- Nazareth Academy
- Our Lady of Nazareth Academy
- Paul K. Guillow, Inc.
- Wakefield High School (WHS)
- Wakefield Savings Bank
- Xura, Inc.
- Pleasure Island (defunct)
- Lake Quannapowitt
- Saugus River
- Russell Banks
- Lucius Beebe
- Elizabeth Boit
- Bruce Brown Jr.
- Scott Brown
- Joe Cannata
- Rich Ceisler
- Carleton S. Coon
- David Dellinger
- Anthony Fabiano
- Ernie Gahan
- Kayla Harrison
- Israel Horovitz
- Mark Kumpel
- Dave Lapham
- John Lilley
- Rachel Levine
- A. David Mazzone
- Marcia Pankratz
- Jimmy Pedro
- Quonopohit
- Buffy Sainte-Marie
- Louis Sullivan
- Richard Tisei
- Ernest Tyzzer
- John Anthony Volpe
- Cyrus Wakefield (namesake)
- Burrage Yale
(Houses)
- 18A & 20 Aborn Av.
- 6 Adams St.
- 380 Albion St.
- Avon St.
- 5 Bennett St.
- E. Boardman House
- Elizabeth Boit House
- Chestnut St.
- 39 Converse St.
- 28 Cordis St.
- Cowdry Houses
- 40 Crescent St.
- Emerson-Franklin Poole House
- 26 Francis Av.
- Captain Goodwin-James Eustis House
- Samuel Gould House
- Capt. William Green House
- Deacon Daniel Green House
- 118 Greenwood St.
- 20 Hancock Rd.
- 42 Hopkins St.
- Dr. Charles Jordan House
- Deacon Thomas Kendall House
- 15 Lawrence St.
- Lawrence St.
- 556 Lowell St.
- Main St.
- 1 Morrison Av.
- Morrison Rd.
- 2 Nichols St.
- 509 North Av.
- 52 Oak St.
- Oliver House
- Park St.
- 22 Parker Rd.
- Prospect St.
- Richardson Avenue Rowhouses
- Dr. S. O. Richardson House
- Salem St.
- Sheffield Rd.
- Dr. Thomas Simpson House
- 54 Spring St.
- William Stimpson House
- Sweetser Houses
- D. Horace Tilton House
- 193 Vernon St.
- 12 W. Water St.
- Wave Av.
- 9 White Av.
- 28 Wiley St.
- Suell Winn House
- Charles Winship House
- 1 Woodcrest Dr.
(Buildings and Districts)
- Beacon Street Tomb
- Beebe Homestead
- Center (or Centre) Depot
- Church–Lafayette Sts. Hist. Dist.
- Common District
- Flanley's Block
- Greenwood Union Church
- Col. James Hartshorne House
- Item Building
- Lakeside Cemetery Chapel
- Lynnwood
- Massachusetts State Armory
- South Reading Academy
- St. Joseph School
- Temple Israel Cemetery
- Main Post Office
- Wakefield Park
- Wakefield Rattan Company
- Wakefield Trust Company
- Wakefield Upper Depot
- H. M. Warren School
- West Ward School
- Woodville School
- Woodward Homestead
- Yale Avenue Historic District
Neighboring towns | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
- Media related to Wakefield at Wikimedia Commons