| The Easton Library Company
was formed in 1811 when 100 shares of stock were sold to the public.
Shareholders then supported the Library with yearly subscription fees. Only
subscribers could borrow books. Within four years the Company could afford
to pay a librarian $1.50 each month and to begin construction of a building
on land donated by Samuel Sitgreaves.
That red brick building still stands at the corner of North Second and Church Streets. For 90 years it served as the public library, located
across the street from Easton's secondary school. At the time of the
Civil War, the Company extended borrowers' status to students enrolled
in the high school. In 1895 the Library Association was formed for the
purpose of creating a library funded by the school board open to all
residents of the city. The reorganization took place in 1901. The
Library's new status allowed Easton's citizens to apply to Andrew
Carnegie for a library building grant. Carnegie was so impressed with
their plans that he donated $50,000 for a new building if the residents
would supply the land and get the municipality to agree to continue to
fund the Library's operating expenses.
The best available piece of property for a
library turned out to be the oldest graveyard in town, which by that time
was no longer in use. The handsome Carnegie building of blue stone from New
Jersey, local bricks, and granite was completed in 1903. Patrons entered the
building by climbing a stairway flanked by white marble walls to a landing
of tile inlaid with patterns in green, red and yellow. Faux green marble
columns supported the high ceilings. The various rooms were entered through
heavy oak and glass doors topped with arched windows. The first Director set
about installing a "state of the art" long distance phone. Much thought,
time, and effort was put into landscaping the grounds which took several
years. At one time bird houses were distributed among the trees to enhance
the park-like atmosphere.
By 1911 it was apparent that more room was
needed for books and a second Carnegie grant provided for additional stack
space on the north side of the building. 1941 brought the addition of a
"loft" of stacks built on top of the book stacks in the addition.
The Library was designated one of
Pennsylvania's 28 District Library Centers in1963 and in 1968 the building was
again expanded. This addition, on the east side of the building, was designed by
local architect Hugh Moore, Jr. The effort of the Friends of the Library secured a National Endowment for Humanities grant in 1985 to provide for the
preservation of the Library's historic materials which date from the founding of
Northampton County. The collections are named in honor of the first 20th century
librarian, Henry Marx, through whose efforts they were greatly expanded and
enriched.
Palmer Township completed a handsome
building to house a branch of the Library in 1986. South Side Easton has
access to branch service at the Shull building.
The Library totally automated its
procedures in 1993 and began providing Internet access to the public in 1996
quickly moving to graphical interfaces and broad band connections. The need
to upgrade automation services in 2001 led Easton to create the Lehigh
Valley Library System, an automation consortium, along with the Allentown
and Bethlehem Public Libraries and the library of Moravian College.
Barbara Bailey Bauer, District Consultant November 28, 2001 |
