Scottsville Free Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Windom Hall
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 Location in New York
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| Location | 28 Main Street, Scottsville, New York |
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| Built | 1892 |
| Architect | Charles H. Ellis Myron Pope |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| NRHP reference No. | 94000803 |
| Added to NRHP | August 5, 1994 |
The Scottsville Free Library is a special place in Scottsville, New York. You can find it at 28 Main Street. It also has a smaller branch in Mumford. This library helps people in the towns of Wheatland and Chili. It also serves other nearby areas in Monroe County.
Unlike many public libraries, the Scottsville Free Library is a private group. It is a non-profit association. Anyone living nearby can become a member. You just need to ask for a library card. Seven trustees manage the library. They are chosen by the members for three-year terms.
Contents
Library History
Early Beginnings
The story of the Scottsville Free Library is quite old. Two local historians, Carl F. Schmidt and George Engs Slocum, wrote about it. Schmidt wrote his history in the early 1950s. Slocum's work ended in 1906.
In 1796, the state government passed a law. This law allowed local private libraries to start. These were often called subscription libraries. People paid a fee to use them.
The Farmers' Library
The Scottsville Free Library's roots go back to 1805. That's when The Farmers' Library was founded. It was the first library of its kind in western New York State. Libraries were very important back then. They were one of the few ways to connect with the outside world.
The Farmers' Library started with 23 books. John Garbutt walked to Canandaigua to buy them. He brought them back from the Myron Holley Store.
Some of the first books were:
- "Morse's Universal Geography"
- Nine books of "The Spectator"
- Two books of Paley's "Philosophy"
- "Arabian Nights"
- "History of England" by Oliver Goldsmith
- "Franklin's works"
Over time, this collection grew to 1,547 books. The group that ran the library also grew. For its first two years, the library was in Peter Sheffer, Jr.'s home. Then it moved to Cyrus Douglass's home for two years.
A rule for The Farmers' Library said it had to stay close to Allan's Creek. This creek is now called Oatka Creek. In 1810, the library moved to Albright's Mill. In 1816, it moved again to Garbutt's store. Sometimes it was kept in private homes.
The people who started The Farmers' Library included:
- Peter Sheffer: He was one of the first settlers in the area. He bought land and built a grist mill. This mill later helped discover gypsum in the area.
- Isaac Scott: He came from New Hampshire in 1790. He bought land that is now the village of Scottsville. His log cabin was the first building in the village.
- Cyrus Douglass: He helped build the first road in the Town of Northampton.
- John Garbutt: He was born in England. He came to America in 1798. He was a shoemaker, farmer, and surveyor. He helped change the town's name to Wheatland.
- Francis Albright: He built the first grist mill in Wheatland in 1804. He was the library's caretaker from 1810 to 1816.
Becoming a member of the library cost $1.50 at first. This was like the price of a pair of long gloves back then. Later, the fee doubled. Members also paid annual dues. In 1822, non-members could borrow books for a yearly fee. The library group officially became a company in 1811.
Libraries were often placed in grist mills. This was because farmers gathered at the mills. They would wait for their grain to be ground into flour. This made mills a great place for a library.
Scottsville Library's New Start
In 1839, The Farmers' Library split up. The members from Scottsville took their books. They started a new library in Ira Carpenter's store. This store was very close to where the library is today. However, this new library did not last. People lost interest, and the books were sold.
The books that stayed in Garbuttsville were kept by Philip Garbutt. His son, William Garbutt, later moved them to his home. In 1934, these books were sold to the University of Rochester library. The Farmers' Library officially ended in 1870.
The Scottsville Village Improvement Society
The Scottsville Village Improvement Society started in 1911. This group wanted to help improve the local community. They were very interested in starting a new library. With help from Mrs. Etta Fraser Miller, they opened the Reading Room on Main Street.
At first, the Reading Room was just a place to sit and read. It had books and magazines for all ages. Many people used it, so the Society decided to make it a lending library. This new Scottsville Free Library was very popular. More than 4,000 people visited in its first year.
In 1914, Mrs. Miller's son, R. T. Miller, Jr., helped the Society buy Windom Hall. Two years later, the Society offered a room in Windom Hall to the library. The library had grown too big for its old space. It moved its 500 books into the new room.
In 1916, the library received a special provisional charter from the state. This happened because Miss Sophia Miller, Miss Ruth Hanford, and others started the Scottsville Free Library Association. This allowed the library to get its first state funding. They received $100 to buy approved books. Miss Miller, who was now the library's president, suggested moving the library to the second floor of Windom Hall. This move happened in 1919 and led to even more people using the library.
The Current Building
After the Scottsville Library closed in 1840, there was no library for 50 years. Then, some people and teachers from the Scottsville Union School worked together. They raised $400 to start a new library. This library would serve both the school and the community.
Carl F. Schmidt wrote about how the Scottsville Improvement Society bought Windom Hall. They bought it in 1915 for $2,500. R. T. Miller, Jr. paid half the cost. The Society raised the other half. This building on Main Street is now the home of the Scottsville Free Library.
The State Board of Regents gave the Scottsville Free Library its official charter in 1916. The Scottsville Improvement Society then gave the Windom Hall building to the library. Miss Sophia Miller became the first president.
The Scottsville Free Library is now in the building that used to be Windom Hall. Charles Ellis designed the building. Myron Pope and Isaac Leake built it in 1891-1892. It was first used as a village hall. It opened on February 17, 1892, with a party and a play.
Windom Hall was used for many things. A dentist worked there from 1895 to 1898. Another dentist, Herbert W. Boylan, started his practice in the East Room. This room is now the Children's Room of the library. A bank also started there in 1904, but it closed soon after. From 1898 to 1918, the Scottsville post office was in Windom Hall.
The Scottsville Library Association used the second floor until 1937. By then, more space was needed. So, the library moved downstairs to the first floor. Romanta T. Miller, Jr. gave the village the automatic chimes on top of the hall. He also donated a special memorial on the wall. It lists over 550 local men and women who served in the military. This includes those from the Revolutionary War through World War 2.
In 1950, a town nurse had an office in Windom Hall. This idea of a "town nurse" is not common today.
Today, the Wheatland Historical Association has a history room in the building. It's called the Cox Local History Room. This room was the first home of the library in Windom Hall.
The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical site.
Library Collections and Services
The Scottsville library has about 30,600 books and other items. It lends out over 61,000 items each year. It serves more than 5,100 people. As part of the Monroe County library system, it can access resources from all county libraries.
Library Staff
The library has a Director and eight part-time librarians. One of them also handles the finances. The library is open six days a week for certain hours.
How the Library is Funded
The library has always tried to avoid public funding. It prefers to stay independent.
The library gets money from public donations. It also receives gifts from Romanta T. Miller, Jr. He gave large gifts in 1943 and 1955. In 1960, the F. G. Ebsary Foundation gave $5,000. This money was used for a large children's room. The Ebsary Foundation still helps the library today. They help pay for building repairs, a new roof, and heating. The Eugene Cox memorial fund paid for the history room.
Over time, costs went up. In 1968, the library asked the village and town for more help. The village gave $875 a year, and the town gave $10,000. The town later took on all the responsibility. By 1986, the amount reached $50,000. The library has also found ways to run more efficiently.
Library Branch
The library has a branch in Mumford. It is located in the Donnelly House. This branch has about 12,000 items.
Images for kids
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The Scottsville Free Library in the past.
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Another historical view of the Scottsville Free Library.
