Scottsville Free Library
Encyclopedia
The Scottsville Free Library, located at 28 Main Street in the village of Scottsville, New York
, with a small branch at 883 George Street in Mumford
, serves the people of the towns of Wheatland
and Chili
, as well as adjacent areas in Monroe County
.
Unlike most public libraries
, the Scottsville Free Library has always been a private non-profit
association. Membership in this association is open to all local residents: one need merely apply for a library card. A board of seven trustees, elected by the association members to three-year terms, provides governance of the association.
of three hundred fifty copies in Scottsville
, by Isaac Van Hooser. In 1998 (Slocum) and 2002 (Schmidt), the Wheatland Historical Association commissioned the Higginson reprints.)
Schmidt wrote in 1952-1953, while Slocum stopped in 1906.
enacted a law providing for the establishment of local private subscription libraries
.
is its collection of books. In the days before newspapers, reliable postal service, and other forms of communication, books comprised one of very few connections to the outside world. The Farmers' Library began when John Garbutt
walked to Canandaigua
and returned with twenty-three books purchased from the Myron Holley
Store.
The first twenty-two books were:
Eventually, this collection grew to some fifteen hundred forty-seven volumes, and the Society which was founded to support and manage the library also thrived, with ample public support. For its first two years, the library lived in the home of Peter Sheffer, Jr; for the next two, with Cyrus Douglass.
In an analysis of the history of The Farmers' Library by Philip B. Daghlian in the University of Rochester Library Bulletin (Volume II · November 1946 · Number 1), this observation is made about the selection of books: "It might be observed in passing that the tastes which are reflected in this instance would do credit to a community with far greater claims to culture and sophistication." Daghlian further observed, "One can see from this sampling that the founders of The Farmers' Library were interested in substantial reading matter, principally in the categories of philosophy and religion, history and travel, belles-lettres, and the practical arts. This is the basic pattern followed throughout the history of the organization, although in later years it was the custom to purchase current publications almost exclusively. It is not likely that any of the readers regarded themselves as intellectuals, and yet their reading tastes would be highly respectable in any age. And the condition of the surviving books proves that they were really read."
A provision of the Society's by-laws stipulated that "the library should forever be kept within two miles of the bridge over Allan's Creek on Isaac Scott's farm." Allan's Creek eventually became Oatka Creek
, and this restriction also passed into history in 1810, when the library was moved to Albright's Mill at Hall's Corners (today's Wheatland Center). In 1816, it was moved again, from Wheatland Center to Garbutt's Mills, housed in Garbutt's store at times and in private residences at other times, under the care of Phillip Garbutt.
The founders of The Farmers' Library included:
Membership (under the terms of the organization's constitution, each member was called a proprietor) in the library came, initially, at a cost of a dollar and a half; at the time, this was the price of a pair of long gloves, a long scythe, a pair of worsted stockings (long?), eight hens, three yards of towel cloth, or three gallons of whiskey. This fee was later doubled. In addition to the membership subscription, the annual dues varied between half a dollar and a dollar. Only in 1822 were non-members allowed to borrow from the library, albeit at an annual fee. The organization was incorporated on 31 May 1811.
The rationale for locating the library in grist mills was simple: the first facility to be built by settlers after their own housing was the mill which ground grist
into meal or flour. Farmers naturally congregated at the mill, spending time talking whilst waiting for their grain to be ground. (To a limited degree, this can still be seen today.) Thus, this proved the optimal site for the local library.
The thousand or so volumes belonging to the Garbuttsville faction stayed with Philip Garbutt. They remained in his store until 1866, at which time William Garbutt, Philip's son, took them into his residence, where they were kept until 16 November 1934, when Mrs Eleanor M Garbutt, Pittsford
, NY, sold them to the University of Rochester library
. The Farmers' Library, itself, ended in 1870.
In 1914, Mrs Miller's son, R T Miller, Jr, assisted the Society (see below) in the acquisition of Windom Hall. Two years later, the Society offered the West Room of Windom Hall to the library, as it had outgrown its space at 29 Main Street. At this juncture, the Reading Room had some five hundred volumes, all of which moved across the street into a room charitably described by its occupants as not unduly warm in winter.
The state granted the library a provisional charter in 1916 upon the establishment by Miss Sophia Miller and Miss Ruth Hanford, along with nearly two dozen other Scottsvillians, of the Scottsville Free Library Association. This enabled the library to receive its first public financial assistance, $100 in state aid, with the proviso that it be spent on the purchase of approved books. By now president of the library's Board of Trustees, Miss Miller urged the library to move to the second floor of Windom Hall, where it would have greater space. This was done in 1919, and it led to greater use of the library.
Carl F Schmidt writes -
The Scottsville Free Library today occupies the former Windom Hall. Designed by architect Charles Ellis
of Rochester
and constructed in 1891-1892 by builder Myron Pope and mason Isaac Leake, it has seen many usages for commercial, professional, and public functions and enterprises. Its initial purpose was as a village hall
, in the old sense of the term. To this end, James H Kelly acquired the old William Hanford House at 28 Main Street and demolished it; in its place, a new building was constructed. It opened on 17 February 1892, with a reception, supper, and dance. On the following two days, the Scottsville Dramatic Club performed the play, "Above the Clouds".
The rooms of Windom Hall did more than serve as a venue for civic events. A dentist named Stevenson practiced his profession in one of the rooms from 1895 to 1898. Another dentist, Herbert W Boylan, opened his first practice in the East Room of Windom Hall, now the Children's Room of the library. In another room on the west side of the hall, Thomas Brown III founded and ran a bank in 1904. (It failed shortly thereafter.) In 1898 and 'til 1918, a room on the east side of Windom Hall was home to the Scottsville post office.
The Scottsville Library Association operated from the second floor until 1937. By that time, the demand for its services necessitated moving downstairs to the greater space available on the first floor. The automatic chimes atop the hall were donated to the village by Romanta T Miller, Jr, along with the paneled oak memorial on the rear (north) wall of the first floor stage on which are written the more than five hundred fifty names of local men and women who served in the military, from the Revolutionary War through World War 2. (This memorial was designed by architect Carl F Schmidt, the author of History of the Town of Wheatland.)
In 1950, the town board appointed Mrs Miriam Bischetsreider town nurse, with an office in Windom Hall. Like much of what made the history of Wheatland a fascinating picture of the evolution of the American culture, the concept of town nurse is today an unheard-of anachronism.
Currently, the Wheatland Historical Association maintains a repository of local historical resources in the Cox Local History Room (formerly the West Room and the first home of the library in Windom Hall), with hours of 1:30pm to 4:30pm and 7:00pm to 8:30pm on Tuesdays.
The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
In addition to contributions from the public, endowments from Romanta T Miller, Jr, have sustained the library, with significant gifts in 1943 and 1955. In both instances, the gift required small matching donations by the village and town governments. In 1960, the F G Ebsary Foundation provided a grant of $5,000, which was spent on a large room for children's materials. In subsequent years, the Ebsary Foundation has continued to support the library, helping to pay for building maintenance, a roof, the heating system, new paint, and wiring. The Eugene Cox memorial fund underwrote the history room bearing his name.
Rising costs obliged the library trustees to ask the village and town governments for greater assistance. This request, in 1968, resulted in annual support from the village of $875 and from the town $10,000. The town eventually assumed the entire responsibility for assistance, with the amount rising to $50,000 in 1986. Improvements in operating efficiency over the years have also been implemented.
in the Donnelly House; it has approximately 12,000 items.
Scottsville, New York
Scottsville is a village in southwestern Monroe County, New York, United States, and is in the northeastern part of the Town of Wheatland. The population was 2,128 at the 2000 census. The village is named after an early settler, Isaac Scott...
, with a small branch at 883 George Street in Mumford
Mumford, New York
The hamlet of Mumford lies on the west side of the Town of Wheatland, south of Oatka Creek on NY 36 and south of the terminus of NY 383.-History:The story of Mumford has been written by several local historians...
, serves the people of the towns of Wheatland
Wheatland, New York
Wheatland is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 4,775 at the 2010 census. The town is home to Genesee Country Village and Museum.The Town of Wheatland is located in the southwest part of the county....
and Chili
Chili, New York
Chili is a town in Monroe County, New York, USA. The population was 28,625 at the 2010 census. It is a suburb of the city of Rochester.The Town of Chili was established in 1822 from part of the Town of Riga....
, as well as adjacent areas in Monroe County
Monroe County, New York
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 744,344. It is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States of America. Its county seat is the city of Rochester....
.
Unlike most public libraries
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
, the Scottsville Free Library has always been a private non-profit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
association. Membership in this association is open to all local residents: one need merely apply for a library card. A board of seven trustees, elected by the association members to three-year terms, provides governance of the association.
Background
The history of the library has been admirably written by Carl F Schmidt, an architect locally noted for his histories of the area, and George Engs Slocum, a local figure whose history of the town appeared in the very early twentieth century. (The original publication of Slocum's history was by private printingVanity press
A vanity press or vanity publisher is a term describing a publishing house that publishes books at the author's expense. Publisher Johnathon Clifford claims to have coined the term in 1959. However, the term appears in mainstream U.S...
of three hundred fifty copies in Scottsville
Scottsville, New York
Scottsville is a village in southwestern Monroe County, New York, United States, and is in the northeastern part of the Town of Wheatland. The population was 2,128 at the 2000 census. The village is named after an early settler, Isaac Scott...
, by Isaac Van Hooser. In 1998 (Slocum) and 2002 (Schmidt), the Wheatland Historical Association commissioned the Higginson reprints.)
Schmidt wrote in 1952-1953, while Slocum stopped in 1906.
Antecedence
In 1796, the state legislatureNew York Legislature
The New York State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York. The New York Constitution does not designate an official term for the two houses together...
enacted a law providing for the establishment of local private subscription libraries
Subscription library
A subscription library is a library that is financed by private funds either from membership fees or endowments...
.
Farmers' Library
The Scottsville Free Library's beginnings may be traced back to The Farmers' Library, founded on 6 January 1805 and the first institution of its kind in the western part of New York State. At its heart, a lending libraryLibrary
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
is its collection of books. In the days before newspapers, reliable postal service, and other forms of communication, books comprised one of very few connections to the outside world. The Farmers' Library began when John Garbutt
Garbutt, New York
Garbutt, New York is a hamlet located between the village of Scottsville and the hamlet of Mumford. It sits at the intersection of Scottsville-Mumford Road and Union Street in the Town of Wheatland in Monroe County...
walked to Canandaigua
Canandaigua (city), New York
Canandaigua is a city in Ontario County, New York, USA, of which it is the county seat. The population was 11,264 at the 2000 census...
and returned with twenty-three books purchased from the Myron Holley
Myron Holley
Myron Holley was an American politician who had a large part in the construction of the Erie Canal.-Life:...
Store.
The first twenty-two books were:
- "Morse's Universal Geography"
- Nine volumes of "The Spectator"The Spectator (1711)The Spectator was a daily publication of 1711–12, founded by Joseph Addison and Richard Steele in England after they met at Charterhouse School. Eustace Budgell, a cousin of Addison's, also contributed to the publication. Each 'paper', or 'number', was approximately 2,500 words long, and the...
by Addison and Steele - Two volumes of Paley'sWilliam PaleyWilliam Paley was a British Christian apologist, philosopher, and utilitarian. He is best known for his exposition of the teleological argument for the existence of God in his work Natural Theology, which made use of the watchmaker analogy .-Life:Paley was Born in Peterborough, England, and was...
"Philosophy" - Two volumes of Beattie'sJames Beattie (writer)Professor James Beattie FRSE was a Scottish poet, moralist and philosopher.He was born the son of a shopkeeper and small farmer at Laurencekirk in the Mearns, and educated at Aberdeen University. In 1760, he was appointed Professor of moral philosophy there as a result of the interest of his...
"Elements of Moral Science" - "Arabian Nights"
- Two volumes of "Mackenzie's Voyages"
- Baxter'sRichard BaxterRichard Baxter was an English Puritan church leader, poet, hymn-writer, theologian, and controversialist. Dean Stanley called him "the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen". After some false starts, he made his reputation by his ministry at Kidderminster, and at around the same time began a long...
"The Saints' Everlasting Rest" - "History of England" by Oliver GoldsmithOliver GoldsmithOliver Goldsmith was an Irish writer, poet and physician known for his novel The Vicar of Wakefield , his pastoral poem The Deserted Village , and his plays The Good-Natur'd Man and She Stoops to Conquer...
- "Boston's View"
- Franklin's works
- "The American Revolution"
Eventually, this collection grew to some fifteen hundred forty-seven volumes, and the Society which was founded to support and manage the library also thrived, with ample public support. For its first two years, the library lived in the home of Peter Sheffer, Jr; for the next two, with Cyrus Douglass.
In an analysis of the history of The Farmers' Library by Philip B. Daghlian in the University of Rochester Library Bulletin (Volume II · November 1946 · Number 1), this observation is made about the selection of books: "It might be observed in passing that the tastes which are reflected in this instance would do credit to a community with far greater claims to culture and sophistication." Daghlian further observed, "One can see from this sampling that the founders of The Farmers' Library were interested in substantial reading matter, principally in the categories of philosophy and religion, history and travel, belles-lettres, and the practical arts. This is the basic pattern followed throughout the history of the organization, although in later years it was the custom to purchase current publications almost exclusively. It is not likely that any of the readers regarded themselves as intellectuals, and yet their reading tastes would be highly respectable in any age. And the condition of the surviving books proves that they were really read."
A provision of the Society's by-laws stipulated that "the library should forever be kept within two miles of the bridge over Allan's Creek on Isaac Scott's farm." Allan's Creek eventually became Oatka Creek
Oatka Creek
Oatka Creek is the third longest tributary of the Genesee River, located entirely in the Western New York region of the U.S. state of New York. From southern Wyoming County, it flows to the Genesee near Scottsville, draining an area of that includes all or part of 23 towns and villages in...
, and this restriction also passed into history in 1810, when the library was moved to Albright's Mill at Hall's Corners (today's Wheatland Center). In 1816, it was moved again, from Wheatland Center to Garbutt's Mills, housed in Garbutt's store at times and in private residences at other times, under the care of Phillip Garbutt.
The founders of The Farmers' Library included:
- Peter Sheffer - was the first serious settler in the area, after the flighty and eccentricEccentricity (behavior)In popular usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive...
Indian Allan. Peter Sheffer, Sr, purchased 475 acres on the river flats for the then-high price of $2.50 an acre. Peter Sheffer, Jr, was the first non-Indian to be married west of the GeneseeGenesee RiverThe Genesee River is a North American river flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hydroelectric power for downtown Rochester....
. Like many others, he built a grist millGristmillThe terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
, this one in Garbuttsville. Unlike most of the others, this one would eventually be converted to grinding gypsumGypsumGypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
when workmen excavating the foundation for a new mill discovered the local gypsum deposit, thus opening up a lucrative new industry.
- Isaac ScottIsaac ScottIsaac Scott was a pioneer, farmer, and tavern owner. He is considered the founder of Scottsville, New York, as his farmland took up the majority of the modern village....
- came to the area from New HampshireNew HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
at the age of forty-five in 1790 and purchased 150 acres from the WadsworthJames S. WadsworthJames Samuel Wadsworth was a philanthropist, politician, and a Union general in the American Civil War. He was killed in battle during the Battle of the Wilderness of 1864.-Early years:...
family for $4.00 an acre; this land is now the village of Scottsville. His log cabinLog cabinA log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
, built north of the creek on what is now the corner of Main Street and River Road (originally Canawaugus Road), was the village's first structure. It eventually became the first of the village's numerous hotels.
- Cyrus Douglass - married one of Isaac Scott's daughters. As one of the Commissioners of Highways, he assisted in the construction of the first road in the Town of Northampton, running northwest to Braddock BayBraddock BayBraddock Bay is a small bay of Lake Ontario, located northwest of Rochester, New York, United States. Braddock Bay is renowned for being an excellent bird-watching location, as raptors and other birds congregate when migrating north in Spring...
. Shortly after the turn of the century, he moved to the new state of IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
.
- James Wood - was the Commissioner of Highways in 1803 when Wheatland was still Southampton and part of Genesee CountyGenesee County, New YorkGenesee County is a county located in Western New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 60,079. Its name is from the Seneca Indian word Gen-nis'-hee-yo meaning "The Beautiful Valley." Its county seat is Batavia.- History :...
.
- John Finch - worked as Scottsville's first blacksmithBlacksmithA blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
, a trade far more economically important than quaint. A man of highly regarded intellectual depth, he served as Caledonia's supervisor in 1812 and eventually went out west in 1820.
- Christopher Laybourn - settled in 1799 or 1800 and was town supervisor for the four years during which the town was known as Southampton. His farm was the site, in 1810, of the first military training in the area. The following year, he sold out and moved to IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
- John Garbutt - born in England in 1780, came to America in 1798 after his father was persecuted for his Whig politics. He arrived in the area in 1804 and left his name spread liberally across the history of WheatlandWheatland, New YorkWheatland is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 4,775 at the 2010 census. The town is home to Genesee Country Village and Museum.The Town of Wheatland is located in the southwest part of the county....
. He was, among other things, a shoemakerShoemakingShoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...
, a farmer, a surveyorSurveyingSee Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
, a politician, and a begetter of sons. He was town supervisor for Caledonia in 1820 and Wheatland's first supervisor in 1821. He also instigated the change of the town's name from Inverness to Wheatland. In 1829, he went to the state legislature as one of Monroe County's representatives. His death in 1855 matched the library's semi-centennial.
- Francis Albright - came to Wheatland from Seneca CountySeneca County, New YorkAs of the census of 2000, there were 33,342 people, 12,630 households, and 8,626 families residing in the county. The population density was 103 people per square mile . There were 14,794 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
in 1799 and settled near the town's center. In 1804, he constructed a small grist mill, the first in Wheatland and the first of many on the Oatka. The mill was extremely successful, at least up to the day it burned to the ground in 1875, a fate to which virtually all of Oatka Creek's mills would eventually succumb. He served as the library's custodian from 1810 to 1816, eventually moving to Niagara County, where he lived 'til 1840.
- Powell Carpenter - arrived in the area in 1804 from Westchester County. Before dying in 1853, he participated actively in numerous local business undertakings. After Isaac Scott died in 1818 at the age of 73, his tavernTavernA tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
was briefly operated by his son until its purchase by Carpenter in 1820.
- Nathaniel Taylor - was an old bachelor who lived in Garbuttsville, teaching school at Belcoda. His sole claim to fame was his marriage to one of his pupils, the disparity in their ages occasioning considerable disapprobation among the local citizenry. Their wedding trip took them to the far west; it is not recorded whether they ever came back.
Membership (under the terms of the organization's constitution, each member was called a proprietor) in the library came, initially, at a cost of a dollar and a half; at the time, this was the price of a pair of long gloves, a long scythe, a pair of worsted stockings (long?), eight hens, three yards of towel cloth, or three gallons of whiskey. This fee was later doubled. In addition to the membership subscription, the annual dues varied between half a dollar and a dollar. Only in 1822 were non-members allowed to borrow from the library, albeit at an annual fee. The organization was incorporated on 31 May 1811.
The rationale for locating the library in grist mills was simple: the first facility to be built by settlers after their own housing was the mill which ground grist
Grist
Grist is grain that has been separated from its chaff in preparation for grinding. It can also mean grain that has been ground at a grist mill. Its etymology derives from the verb grind....
into meal or flour. Farmers naturally congregated at the mill, spending time talking whilst waiting for their grain to be ground. (To a limited degree, this can still be seen today.) Thus, this proved the optimal site for the local library.
Scottsville Library
In 1839, when the nascent Scottsville library first appeared, The Farmers' Library was divided between Scottsville and Garbuttsville. The members from Scottsville took their books away, establishing a new library in Ira Carpenter's store. This was located in the front half of that part of the municipal building which until recently housed the fire department. In fact, it was literally within spitting distance of the present library building. This smaller and vitiated library did not last; interest in it diminished, along with membership, and, several years later, the books were sold at auction and the proceeds distributed among the shareholders.The thousand or so volumes belonging to the Garbuttsville faction stayed with Philip Garbutt. They remained in his store until 1866, at which time William Garbutt, Philip's son, took them into his residence, where they were kept until 16 November 1934, when Mrs Eleanor M Garbutt, Pittsford
Pittsford (village), New York
Pittsford is a village in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 1,418 at the 2000 census. It is named after Pittsford, Vermont, the native town of a founding father....
, NY, sold them to the University of Rochester library
Rush Rhees Library
Rush Rhees Library is the main academic library of the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. It is one of the most visible and recognizable landmarks on the university's River Campus. Construction began in 1927 with the other original River Campus buildings and the library was dedicated...
. The Farmers' Library, itself, ended in 1870.
The Scottsville Village Improvement Society
Founded in 1911 to encourage all local women to participate in civic betterment efforts, the Scottsville Village Improvement Society took an active interest in the matter of a local library. With leadership and financial support from Mrs Etta Fraser Miller, the Society opened the Reading Room on Main Street. At first precisely what the name implies, a place where one could go to sit and read, the Reading Room occupied the Society's clubroom in the Woodgate home at 29 Main. Access was open to anyone, and the Reading Room's collection included books and periodicals for all ages. Public acceptance of the Reading Room encouraged the Society to expand it into a circulating library. The success of the newly formed Scottsville Free Library was measured in the more than four thousand visits during the first year.In 1914, Mrs Miller's son, R T Miller, Jr, assisted the Society (see below) in the acquisition of Windom Hall. Two years later, the Society offered the West Room of Windom Hall to the library, as it had outgrown its space at 29 Main Street. At this juncture, the Reading Room had some five hundred volumes, all of which moved across the street into a room charitably described by its occupants as not unduly warm in winter.
The state granted the library a provisional charter in 1916 upon the establishment by Miss Sophia Miller and Miss Ruth Hanford, along with nearly two dozen other Scottsvillians, of the Scottsville Free Library Association. This enabled the library to receive its first public financial assistance, $100 in state aid, with the proviso that it be spent on the purchase of approved books. By now president of the library's Board of Trustees, Miss Miller urged the library to move to the second floor of Windom Hall, where it would have greater space. This was done in 1919, and it led to greater use of the library.
The current building
Following the end of the Scottsville Library in 1840, half a century passed without anything to take its place. Then, a number of concerned citizens and several teachers at the Scottsville Union School organized an effort which collected four hundred dollars for a library to serve both the school and the community.Carl F Schmidt writes -
"The Scottsville Improvement Society was organized in September, 1911, with sixty-four members. The object of the society was the civic improvement of the village and the town. In 1915, the society wanted to buy Windom Hall, which could be obtained for the sum of $2,500. R T Miller, Jr, offered the society one-half of the money, provided the members raised a like amount. They soon accomplished their objective and became owners of the building on Main Street, which today is the home of the Scottsville Free Library.
For years there had been a need for a library, and Roscoe Brown tried to do something about it. He started a library in his own home and loaned books. The Scottsville Improvement Society took over this work; after the purchase of Windom Hall, a library and reading room were maintained on the second floor.
The Scottsville Free Library was organized in January, 1916, and a charter was granted by the State Board of RegentsUniversity of the State of New YorkThe University of the State of New York is the State of New York's governmental umbrella organization responsible for most institutions and people in any way connected with formal educational functions, public and private, in New York State...
a month later. The Scottsville Improvement Society then deeded the Windom Hall property to the Scottsville Free Library. Miss Sophia Miller was elected the first president."
The Scottsville Free Library today occupies the former Windom Hall. Designed by architect Charles Ellis
Harvey Ellis
Harvey Ellis was an architect, perspective renderer and painter. He worked in Rochester, New York; Utica, New York; St. Paul, Minnesota; Minneapolis, Minnesota; St. Joseph, Missouri; St...
of Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
and constructed in 1891-1892 by builder Myron Pope and mason Isaac Leake, it has seen many usages for commercial, professional, and public functions and enterprises. Its initial purpose was as a village hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
, in the old sense of the term. To this end, James H Kelly acquired the old William Hanford House at 28 Main Street and demolished it; in its place, a new building was constructed. It opened on 17 February 1892, with a reception, supper, and dance. On the following two days, the Scottsville Dramatic Club performed the play, "Above the Clouds".
The rooms of Windom Hall did more than serve as a venue for civic events. A dentist named Stevenson practiced his profession in one of the rooms from 1895 to 1898. Another dentist, Herbert W Boylan, opened his first practice in the East Room of Windom Hall, now the Children's Room of the library. In another room on the west side of the hall, Thomas Brown III founded and ran a bank in 1904. (It failed shortly thereafter.) In 1898 and 'til 1918, a room on the east side of Windom Hall was home to the Scottsville post office.
The Scottsville Library Association operated from the second floor until 1937. By that time, the demand for its services necessitated moving downstairs to the greater space available on the first floor. The automatic chimes atop the hall were donated to the village by Romanta T Miller, Jr, along with the paneled oak memorial on the rear (north) wall of the first floor stage on which are written the more than five hundred fifty names of local men and women who served in the military, from the Revolutionary War through World War 2. (This memorial was designed by architect Carl F Schmidt, the author of History of the Town of Wheatland.)
In 1950, the town board appointed Mrs Miriam Bischetsreider town nurse, with an office in Windom Hall. Like much of what made the history of Wheatland a fascinating picture of the evolution of the American culture, the concept of town nurse is today an unheard-of anachronism.
Currently, the Wheatland Historical Association maintains a repository of local historical resources in the Cox Local History Room (formerly the West Room and the first home of the library in Windom Hall), with hours of 1:30pm to 4:30pm and 7:00pm to 8:30pm on Tuesdays.
The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Collections and services
Currently, the library in Scottsville has some 30,600 volumes and circulates more than 61,000 items annually, with a service population of a little more than 5,100 people. As a member of the Monroe County library system, it has access to the resources of all of the county's libraries.Staff
In addition to the Director, the library employs eight part-time librarians, one of whom serves as bookkeeper. The library is open for limited hours six days a week, save in summer, when it is closed on Saturdays.Funding
Throughout its history, the library has avoided public funding, preferring to maintain its independence.In addition to contributions from the public, endowments from Romanta T Miller, Jr, have sustained the library, with significant gifts in 1943 and 1955. In both instances, the gift required small matching donations by the village and town governments. In 1960, the F G Ebsary Foundation provided a grant of $5,000, which was spent on a large room for children's materials. In subsequent years, the Ebsary Foundation has continued to support the library, helping to pay for building maintenance, a roof, the heating system, new paint, and wiring. The Eugene Cox memorial fund underwrote the history room bearing his name.
Rising costs obliged the library trustees to ask the village and town governments for greater assistance. This request, in 1968, resulted in annual support from the village of $875 and from the town $10,000. The town eventually assumed the entire responsibility for assistance, with the amount rising to $50,000 in 1986. Improvements in operating efficiency over the years have also been implemented.
Branch
The library maintains a branch in MumfordMumford, New York
The hamlet of Mumford lies on the west side of the Town of Wheatland, south of Oatka Creek on NY 36 and south of the terminus of NY 383.-History:The story of Mumford has been written by several local historians...
in the Donnelly House; it has approximately 12,000 items.
External links
- http://mcls.rochester.lib.ny.us/scottsville/
- http://www.higginsonbooks.com/ - a source of local history books, including two on Wheatland