Swampscott Library Director Alyce Deveau looks over old photos the Swampscott Library that was built in 1917. It will celebrate 100 years in January. Item Photo by Owen O’Rourke
By Gayla Cawley
SWAMPSCOTT — The Swampscott Public Library will be marking a major milestone in January.
On Jan. 20, the library building on Burrill Street turns 100. The year-long centennial celebrations, which kick off in January, will celebrate the library as the town knows it today, but its history goes back much further.
In 1852, the year Swampscott was incorporated as a separate town from Lynn, the Board of Selectmen voted to accept a proposal from Dr. William Lawrence, of Boston, to establish a town library. His gift of 166 volumes and $100 monetary donation formed the institution’s book collection.
Three months later, the library opened in a room in the former Town Hall. At the time of its opening, the library was not a free and public institution, but a subscription association, with its members paying dues to withdraw books. Those dues paid to replenish the book collection until the town began appropriating funds for the library in 1867. Dues were no longer collected, but patrons were charged weekly fees to borrow books.
In 1879, the library became a free public establishment in Town Hall. On Jan. 20, 1917, the library moved from Town Hall to its present location. The land for the building site was donated by Elihu Thomson, which used to comprise of his tennis courts, and the project was funded by the town and donations from its residents. Thomson founded the Thomson-Houston Electric Company, which merged with the Edison General Electric Company to become General Electric. His former home, a National Historic Landmark, serves as the Swampscott Town Hall.
The Trustees and Friends of the Library recently began planning for the centennial celebrations, which will feature programs honoring the history of the library. A kick-off event will be held in January, but Library Director Alyce Deveau said no date has been set and planning for it is in the initial stages. Later in the year, a gala will be held.
Deveau said it’s important to show that there is still a need for a public library. The institution has survived changes in technology and has adapted. People still check out books and magazines, but they also take out DVDs. She said patrons make use of the computers and printers. They can use it as a job search center or renew their licenses.
“The library has changed since 1917, but it’s still viable,” Deveau said.
Other changes have been to the building itself. In 1955, an addition was constructed and extensive remodeling took place. The changes included a new wing for the children’s room, which was later relocated, and auditorium, along with a new entrance and lobby. A second addition was built in 1997, which now houses the library’s fiction room on the first floor and the children’s room on the lower level.
Deveau said the perception of the library has changed over the years. In its early stages, when the space was much smaller before the additions, people would just check out a book and leave. Today, the library offers programs for adults and children.
“A lot of people see us as a community center,” she said.
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley.
