Happy Birthday, YPL
Duncan Oliver
The Yarmouth Port Library turns 150 this June but, it wasn’t the first library in Yarmouth Port.
The first formal private library on Cape Cod was in Yarmouth. It was organized on March 16th, 1807 at Elisha Doane’s tavern, a building still standing on the NW corner of Route 6A and Playground Avenue. Called the Union Library, shares were two dollars each, and yearly dues were eight cents a share, payable to the librarian. The Committee of Five was admonished not to accept any second hand volumes when purchasing books.
Fifty-six individuals initially bought shares; seven others purchased them later. Three women were subscribers. The Historical Society owns the original regulations and documents, along with the lending history of each subscriber, which were found as part of the Prince Matthews journals, purchased as part of the Jack Braginton-Smith collection in 2007. Matthews lived at 1 Strawberry Lane and was the last clerk. In a true display of Yankee frugality, he used the records as a personal journal after the library dissolved, also keeping in it a record of his saltworks which were located on Great Island.
Records indicate the conditions of books upon return, including “grease stain on page 304,” “folded corner on page 11,” and “slight tear on page 25.” At least four men were guilty of returning late the book, “Self Controlle.”
The library circulation slowed considerably after the War of 1812, and the library was disbanded in 1817. Perhaps the fact that librarian Reverend Timothy Alden was aging led to the demise.
Nearly 40 years later libraries again surfaced. The first on Cape Cod was the Brewster Ladies Library in 1853, followed by the Hyannis Public Library in 1865. The Yarmouth Port Library was organized a year later, and Sturgis Library in 1867. By 1880, there were 15 libraries on Cape Cod, and this number grew to 31 by 1900. This helps explain why so many towns on Cape Cod still have multiple libraries. Usually, there was one library to a village.
Yarmouth Port’s library was organized by 20 men at the home of Register editor Charles Swift as a subscription library, with shares at $10 each. Henry C. Thacher offered the land, and a former law office was moved there in August of 1866. 600 volumes were purchased and William J. Davis was chosen librarian.
An astounding offer was made late in 1870 by Nathan Matthews. Matthews, a native of Yarmouth, offered to erect a brick building worth $5,000 on the property in memory of his father, on the condition that the library be free to all the inhabitants of Yarmouth. The offer was quickly accepted, shareholders relinquishing all rights. The new building included an apartment for the librarian, a common feature at the time. The original building became the kitchen for the apartment.
The library was blessed with fine librarians. Mary Bray followed William Davis, and then for a brief time of four months in 1889 a Mrs. Stearns took over. She was followed by Mrs. Lydia C. Matthews who held the position from 1889 to 1937. Finding a replacement for someone who had served 48 years would seem no easy task, but Mrs. Martha U. White was asked to serve and she stayed 53½ years! Forty-seven of those years she lived in the apartment in the library. It isn’t well known that the librarian at that time was expected to clean the library as well!
Under her tutelage, major positive changes occurred. The tower on the original building was taken down in 1945 when found to be unsafe. At the same time, the apartment was remodeled, removing the dormer on the front roof. In the area currently occupied by the stacks were a kitchen, living room, dining room, and full bathroom, with a back porch across the back of the building. There were two bedrooms on the second floor.
In April of 1951, the John Simpkins wing was added, followed by the Mary Thacher children’s wing in 1958. The library still needed more space and in 1983 the apartment was converted to make use of the rooms, on the suggestion of the librarian. Martha White moved to her sister’s on Wharf Lane. A genealogy room and a local history room, as well as storage, were created on the second floor, and a librarian’s office was created downstairs.
Everyone loved the library. It became the place to go, with lots of social activities and a very active Friends group. There were frequent children’s programs. While her daughter Sally said that her mother’s proudest achievements were the expansion of the two wings, others say that making the library the center of the community ranked just as high. One such example was the Friday morning coffees which attracted older people who were alone. It was their social outing.
Pat Philbrook was appointed successor librarian to Martha White. Under her leadership, the library was integrated into the CLAMS network. The history and genealogy rooms were further organized, with her husband Dick, an avid genealogist, of great assistance in these efforts. The three librarians in the town met together and coordinated town library services.
In the early 1990s, the town of Yarmouth started working on formal coordination. In 1992, Marcia Shannon was appointed town library director, staying until 1999. At this time, the town began financially helping each library. An override in 1996 to the town budget added both staff and hours. The question of one central library vs three separate ones has proven to be a contentious issue.
The South Yarmouth library building was given to the town in 1997 and eight years later the town spent $472,000 for windows, flooring, roof, and masonry. Air quality and mold problems were addressed, but the money spent did not add services.
The financial situation in 2008 brought the issue of the future of the Yarmouth Port Library to the forefront. In August of 2008 the Yarmouth Library Board unanimously voted to close the Yarmouth Port library by withdrawing all town financial support. Through the efforts of the Yarmouth Port Library Association, a deal was worked out with the selectmen to keep the library open until June 30, 2009, having the Association assume virtually all costs after November of 2008.
The Library Association voted unanimously to continue as a fully staffed private library with all services open to the public after July 1, 2009. A fund-raising drive, undertaken during the worst economic climate since the Great Depression, raised the money needed for three years of expenses. Fund-raising continues today so that money will not have to be taken from the endowment to keep the library open in future years.
So,having been both a public and privately funded library open to the public, our library has continued for 150 years to serve the needs of the patrons.
The first formal private library on Cape Cod was in Yarmouth. It was organized on March 16th, 1807 at Elisha Doane’s tavern, a building still standing on the NW corner of Route 6A and Playground Avenue. Called the Union Library, shares were two dollars each, and yearly dues were eight cents a share, payable to the librarian. The Committee of Five was admonished not to accept any second hand volumes when purchasing books.
Fifty-six individuals initially bought shares; seven others purchased them later. Three women were subscribers. The Historical Society owns the original regulations and documents, along with the lending history of each subscriber, which were found as part of the Prince Matthews journals, purchased as part of the Jack Braginton-Smith collection in 2007. Matthews lived at 1 Strawberry Lane and was the last clerk. In a true display of Yankee frugality, he used the records as a personal journal after the library dissolved, also keeping in it a record of his saltworks which were located on Great Island.
Records indicate the conditions of books upon return, including “grease stain on page 304,” “folded corner on page 11,” and “slight tear on page 25.” At least four men were guilty of returning late the book, “Self Controlle.”
The library circulation slowed considerably after the War of 1812, and the library was disbanded in 1817. Perhaps the fact that librarian Reverend Timothy Alden was aging led to the demise.
Nearly 40 years later libraries again surfaced. The first on Cape Cod was the Brewster Ladies Library in 1853, followed by the Hyannis Public Library in 1865. The Yarmouth Port Library was organized a year later, and Sturgis Library in 1867. By 1880, there were 15 libraries on Cape Cod, and this number grew to 31 by 1900. This helps explain why so many towns on Cape Cod still have multiple libraries. Usually, there was one library to a village.
Yarmouth Port’s library was organized by 20 men at the home of Register editor Charles Swift as a subscription library, with shares at $10 each. Henry C. Thacher offered the land, and a former law office was moved there in August of 1866. 600 volumes were purchased and William J. Davis was chosen librarian.
An astounding offer was made late in 1870 by Nathan Matthews. Matthews, a native of Yarmouth, offered to erect a brick building worth $5,000 on the property in memory of his father, on the condition that the library be free to all the inhabitants of Yarmouth. The offer was quickly accepted, shareholders relinquishing all rights. The new building included an apartment for the librarian, a common feature at the time. The original building became the kitchen for the apartment.
The library was blessed with fine librarians. Mary Bray followed William Davis, and then for a brief time of four months in 1889 a Mrs. Stearns took over. She was followed by Mrs. Lydia C. Matthews who held the position from 1889 to 1937. Finding a replacement for someone who had served 48 years would seem no easy task, but Mrs. Martha U. White was asked to serve and she stayed 53½ years! Forty-seven of those years she lived in the apartment in the library. It isn’t well known that the librarian at that time was expected to clean the library as well!
Under her tutelage, major positive changes occurred. The tower on the original building was taken down in 1945 when found to be unsafe. At the same time, the apartment was remodeled, removing the dormer on the front roof. In the area currently occupied by the stacks were a kitchen, living room, dining room, and full bathroom, with a back porch across the back of the building. There were two bedrooms on the second floor.
In April of 1951, the John Simpkins wing was added, followed by the Mary Thacher children’s wing in 1958. The library still needed more space and in 1983 the apartment was converted to make use of the rooms, on the suggestion of the librarian. Martha White moved to her sister’s on Wharf Lane. A genealogy room and a local history room, as well as storage, were created on the second floor, and a librarian’s office was created downstairs.
Everyone loved the library. It became the place to go, with lots of social activities and a very active Friends group. There were frequent children’s programs. While her daughter Sally said that her mother’s proudest achievements were the expansion of the two wings, others say that making the library the center of the community ranked just as high. One such example was the Friday morning coffees which attracted older people who were alone. It was their social outing.
Pat Philbrook was appointed successor librarian to Martha White. Under her leadership, the library was integrated into the CLAMS network. The history and genealogy rooms were further organized, with her husband Dick, an avid genealogist, of great assistance in these efforts. The three librarians in the town met together and coordinated town library services.
In the early 1990s, the town of Yarmouth started working on formal coordination. In 1992, Marcia Shannon was appointed town library director, staying until 1999. At this time, the town began financially helping each library. An override in 1996 to the town budget added both staff and hours. The question of one central library vs three separate ones has proven to be a contentious issue.
The South Yarmouth library building was given to the town in 1997 and eight years later the town spent $472,000 for windows, flooring, roof, and masonry. Air quality and mold problems were addressed, but the money spent did not add services.
The financial situation in 2008 brought the issue of the future of the Yarmouth Port Library to the forefront. In August of 2008 the Yarmouth Library Board unanimously voted to close the Yarmouth Port library by withdrawing all town financial support. Through the efforts of the Yarmouth Port Library Association, a deal was worked out with the selectmen to keep the library open until June 30, 2009, having the Association assume virtually all costs after November of 2008.
The Library Association voted unanimously to continue as a fully staffed private library with all services open to the public after July 1, 2009. A fund-raising drive, undertaken during the worst economic climate since the Great Depression, raised the money needed for three years of expenses. Fund-raising continues today so that money will not have to be taken from the endowment to keep the library open in future years.
So,having been both a public and privately funded library open to the public, our library has continued for 150 years to serve the needs of the patrons.