Civil War Period and Beyond - History of the Huntington Public Library
1860's - 1900

courtesy of the SUNY Stonybrook Historic Postcard Collection

About the time of the Civil War, in one of the many lectures that served as a prime source of entertainment and enlightenment for the community, a Methodist minister told the village that the young people were in need of a library to fill their time with literary pursuits. The Young Men's Literary Association took up this cause with the remaining books from the second library. They gathered 30 members, $200, and 100 volumes and set up in George Sheperd's newspaper office. They never saw their library flourish and being $40 in debt, desolved the association in 1871. They were determined that their books and furniture were public property and refused to sell them to pay their debts.

In 1874 Mrs. Mary J.Talmage (referred to as "Mother of the Library") visited Lexington Massachusetts and was impressed with the beautiful library building she saw there. Returning home, she was determined that Huntington should have a similarly impressive structure. In the winter of 1875, Mrs. Talmage held a group discussion in her home on Fairview St. which led to a lecture the following month in the Assembly rooms by the Rev. A. J. Barrow. The stated purpose of this lecture was "to secure funds for the purchase of a Public Library at Huntington". On February 23, 1875, presided over by Judge J. R. Rolph, a meeting was held in which the Huntington Library Association was established. A constitution, prepared by Stephen W. Gaines, was adopted by the meeting. A month later, at the home of Mrs. Talmage officers were elected. They included:

• President,   Steven W. Gaines
• Vice President,   Jarvis R. Rolph
• Treasurer,   Arthur T. Hurd
• Secretary,   Amos P. Conklin

Miss Mina P. Downs was appointed as the first librarian, succeeded the following year by Miss Ella M. Conklin.

To raise funds this struggling organization gave numerous lectures, including one by P.T. Barnum, who spoke on "The Art of Money Making". They collected annual and life memberships (the latter as high as $100). With these funds the association purchased new books and leased a store from Isaac Adams⁵ (Isaac Godman⁴) for housing the collection. The Honorable Henry J. Scudder donated 30 volumes of great value and the Young Men's Literary Association presented 162 volumes and some furniture that had been in storage.

The library remained in the Adams Building until April 1, 1881 when it moved to the Gordon Building in the Empire Block.

On February 1, 1883, drawn up by Henry W. Gaines, Huntington Library Association received its certificate of incorporation.

In the minutes recorded in March 1887, it is stated: "in the room adjoining the library on the East the recently puchased printing press Suffolk Bulletin caused jarring of the building and consequent annoyance. The Library must have a building of its own". Despite this plea, the library remained in rented rooms and again moved eight years later, in April 1889, to the Gardner Building near the Huntington House.

At the end of the Civil War, the town had received donations for the purpose of providing a memorial to those citizens of Huntington that had lost their lives during the war. It was proposed that a library building be incorporated into those memorial plans. Temple Prime was chairman of the Soldier's and Sailors Memorial committee and was a major contributor and supporter of the library's initial construction.

A large fund raising effort was undertaken, library subscriptions were sought and a massive fair was held in a carriage factory in the Underhill building that lasted several days. The net proceeds of the fair alone were about $1300.

The title for the building site was obtained, without charge, from the Town and the First Presbyterian Church and was located next to the Old Burying Ground, which had played such an important role in Huntingon's history. The architectural firm of Cady, Berg and See of New York City submitted plans that were accepted, and construction was underway in June of 1892. During excavation, a rusted Indian tomahawk and a slate footstone reading:"Charity Conklin, 1771" were unearthed.

In the later months of 1892, the new Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building was completed at a cost of just over $10,000. On Jan 19, 1893 the first meeting of the library board was held in its new quarters. Holdings at this time numbered around 3,000 volumes. Furnishings were donated. Shrubs to surround the building were purchased for $5. from Henry Hick's Nursery.

Sometime later, a statue of a Civil War soldier at parade rest was erected outside of the Soldier's and Sailor's Memorial Building. Inside a bronze tablet inscribed with the 36 names of the Huntington men that lost there lives during the war was hung on a wall in the reading room. By an act of Congress in 1896, the War Department donated to the Huntington Grand Army of the Republic, a canon with 5 cannon balls. The cannon balls were from the Watertown Arsenal, and the cannon from Fort Wood, once part of the defenses guarding New York Harbor. These still stand outside the building.

The library was a source of pride for the town, with its fine Connecticut bluestone exterior and the warmth of a hearth, surrounded by two armchairs, inside. Of course there also hung, in the reading room, the obligatory "No Talking" sign.

Continue reading.......the 20th Century history