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| History of Chesterfield Public Library |
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History of the Chesterfield Library The first record of library service in Chesterfield is found in the "Records of the Proprietors of the Philesian Society Library," in March 1832. This document began with the "Articles of Association" combining two libraries, the Chesterfield Social Library and the Library of the Philesian Society. The Association was in effect a corporation, the shares in which "should not exceed $200". There followed a page of signatures of 49 men, most of which also are to be found elsewhere on the leading documents of town history. Search of town records also reveal that in the 1880s and 1890s money for a "Library Fund" was received from the NH State Treasurer. In 1893, the "Chesterfield Factory Asociation"1 donated 83 books to the formation of a public library. In 1894 a free public library was established in the town of Chesterfield, with Frederic M. Hamilton, John F. Butler and Timothy N. Robertson as trustees. The library was split into three sections, one to a village, and held in the homes of Mrs. Henry Rice (Center), Mrs. Ellon A. Safford (Spofford) and Mrs. James Ford (West). Mrs. Clara Farr became the West Chesterfield librarian in 1896 and continued in that capacity for 34 years. In 1894 there were 458 volumes in the Chesterfield libraries, and the population of the town was approximately 1000. Today there are over 22,000 volumes in the collection with a Town population of over 3500. In August of 1939, a new stone library building was opened in Center Chesterfield, funded by a benefactor, Morris Friedsam, and the U.S. Government as part of the WPA. At that time, the home libraries in West Chesterfield and Spofford continued to function, with books being circulated among the three branches. In 1940 a children’s room was added to the main branch., giving a total space of 1120 square feet. The town population at that time was 842. Book Circulation was 3699. Today the circulation is over 15,000. For many years the NH State Bookmobile circulated new books to all libraries on a rotating basis. The West Chesterfield librarian, Avis Gauthier, remembers having ½ hour to pick out 100 books. The branch libraries gradually closed with the centralization of the school and other services in town: with all books then housed in the central library. In 1991 a group of people interested in building a new library received funds through a Town Warrant to hire Daniel Scully an architect in Keene, NH. Mr. Scully provided plans to build a library on a new site north of the Town Hall. For several years, the library project laid stagnant. Varied amounts ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 were added to a Library Capital Reserve Fund at Town Meetings. In 1996 following receipt of a $50,000 bequest from Helen James, the project gathered new support. A Building Committee was formed and the architect’s plans were revised. At the 1997 Town Meeting, funds were approved to go ahead with the Library Building project. The expenditure of $604,750 was approved with authorization to borrow $276,135, to withdraw $127,000 from the Library Capital Reserve Fund, to accept $146,865 from the hard earned Library Building Fund and to raise the remainder through taxation. The building was completed in 1997 and the new Library opened in January 1998 under the Directorship of Jane Anderson who has been the Director since 1976 and continues to this day. The Chesterfield Library collection contains 22,050 items as of January 2003 and the Town population is approximately 3,555 persons. |