Civic Pride in a Lost America: Library Postcards
Vermont Public Libraries
Cities S - Z
Most of these libraries were typical New England architecture.
St. Albans
Surprisingly, this building is the second public library in the village. The first was in the opera house, which was even more Romanesque than the building shown. Most of its collection was lost in a 1895 fire, and this red brick building was completed in 1902. According to the Library's history page, this was intended to hold 16,000 volumes.
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The structure at left is not part of the library, and I'm uncertain what lies to the right. Perhaps a tennis court?
Not a Cyanotype, the E.B. Royce card was mailed in 1916 to Canada, and bears a CENSORED stamp, although nothing was marked out.
St. Johnsbury Athenaeum
Serves the art lover's and reader's needs as a non-profit public library and art gallery. It should be noted that this is the 1871 legacy of the Fairbanks family, of platform scale fame.
This glossy postcard was mailed, with a one cent Panama-Pacific commemorative stamp in 1913, to Quebec.
Shelburne
Not the Pierson Library.
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This 1816 building served originally as a store, plus apartments, and has reverted to its roots, now serving as a toy store. As a library, it served from 1911-2001.
Shoreham (Platt Memorial Library)
Beautiful building in a persistently beautiful setting. It was built in 1906 and received an addition in 2012.
The purchaser of this Eastern Illustrating Company was also impressed by the image.
South Hero
The Landon Memorial Library building now houses the South Hero Historical Society.
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The photo postcard was never mailed.
Vergennes (Bixby Memorial Library)
(L) Photo postcard, mailed in 1912 as a Christmas card.
(R) Card printed for C. W. Hughes by Curt Teich.
Stealth bequest.
Built in 1912, and still in use.
Waitsfield (Joslin Memorial Library)
Built in 1913: still in use.
Strong resemblance to the post-1901 Carnegie buildings.
An Auburn Post Card: it's unusual to see a New England location featured on these Indiana-printed postcards.
Wallingford (Gilbert Hart Library)
Information from the Library's Wordpress page.
Donated by Gilbert Hart, inventor of the emery wheel.
Built in 1894: the first, 1910 Children's Room, was dedicated by Hart to his grandson; and the second, in 1940, donated by inventor Birney Batcheller; and the third, in 2004, made the building accessible. Note that no one is acknowledged as coming forward to fund that.
This bland postcard was part of H.G. Savery's Series. Other cards feature the Wallingford Congregational Church, Railroad Station, and a delivery wagon. Savery appears to have been a postmaster-merchant.
Wells (Lochlea Library)
The 1855 Universalist Church was bought by Mrs. Annie R. Huyck, who donated it to the town to be its village library in 1944. It appears to have been de-steepled, and remains in use.
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The Postcard is by Edward Wells and seems to date to the time of the conversion.
This stereotypical New England clapboard library building also housed a museum, and still does. It was built in 1899.
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The photographer was Fuller. The NOKO stamp box dates to the 1920s or 1930s.
Wilder Club & Library
I was on the cusp of calling this a special library, then discovered it's still an active library, part of the Quechee & Wilder Libraries.
A very minor part, at 12 hours/week service time.
Its imposing size, seen here, results from its auditorium.
(L) Printed in Germany for the Wilson Brothers.
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(R) Printed in Austria for the Wilson Brothers.
Wilmington (Pettee Memorial Library)
Still in use. Resembles the Carnegie libraries built with the Type A plan.
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Postcard by Walter S. Brown also features a church and a fountain.
Williamstown (Ainsworth Public Library)
Converted residence, the Howe House, purchased and donated in 1911. The library building is said to still have a dirt floor in its basement.
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A.M. Simon monochrome postcard, never mailed.
Windsor
Built by architects Brite & Bacon in 1903. It is said, on the Library's history page, to be Georgian Revival, and is still in use, 102 plus years later.
Unusually, the page displays the original blueprint.
(L) American Art Post Card, not the Curt Teich imprint.
(R) Handcolored Albertype card, never mailed.
Woodstock (Norman Williams Public Library)
(L) Stunningly beautiful A.B. Wilder postcard, printed in Germany. It's far more impressive in hand, as the windows are all filled with a copper ink.
(R) Handcolored Albertype card. These are hard to find without water damage to the tinting.
(R) 'C.T. American Art' series card (whose plate number I cannot make out), was made for Edward L. Mc Cann of Woodstock.
According to the date in Roman numerals above the entry, this was built in 1883, the same year that the Cairo, IL library was built. It must have been a good year for library architects, as these early public libraries' architecture seldom repeats.