The Oldest Library In Connecticut Has Been Around Since 1771
By Lisa Sammons|Published December 28, 2021
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Lisa Sammons
Author
Lisa loves animals and has dogs, rats, cats, guinea pigs, and snakes. She is passionate about animal rescue and live music - traveling across the country to see a favorite band is a pretty regular occurrence! Being out hiking in the woods enjoying the scenery with her beloved dogs is another favorite hobby, and also checking out the Pokemon Go scene in whatever city she happens to be in at any given time (coffee and dog leash in hand). You can reach Lisa at lsammons@onlyinyourstate.com
Like all of New England, there’s a lot of history in Connecticut. You’ve seen our old restaurants, museums, and war memorials. One institution that many of us use often but may not think of in historical terms is the library. The oldest library in Connecticut is also one of the very oldest in the entire country. The Scoville Memorial Library was the first free library in the United States to be open to the public. The current building was constructed in 1894, but the library’s roots date all the way back to 1771.
In 1771, a local furnace owner named Richard Smith took up donations from fellow citizens to purchase 200 books in London. These books were put into a community collection where they could be borrowed and later returned.
Within the next few decades, several wealthy philanthropists donated additional collections of books. These were gathered in the local town hall.
In 1810, the town of Salisbury voted to use public funds to purchase more books to go into the collection. This marked the first example of a publicly-funded free library in the United States.
The current building that houses the Salisbury library was constructed in 1894. It's named the Scoville Memorial Library after Jonathan Scoville, who left money in his will for the construction of the building.
In 1981, the building was added onto, as the library's collection had outgrown the small building. There's now plenty of space for community events and classes.
In addition to books, videos, and reference material like you'd expect, they also have newspapers on microfilm and genealogy information. They even still possess some of their original collection today.
Regardless of whether you're looking for reading material, want to check out a movie, or want to research your local area, this library in Connecticut is a great place to visit.
