James Blackstone Memorial Library is a public library located in

Branford, Connecticut Branford is a shoreline New England town, town located on Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, about east of downtown New Haven, Connecticut, New Haven. The town is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Regi ...

. It is commonly referred to as the Blackstone Library or the Branford Library. The library was commissioned by

Timothy Blackstone Timothy Beach Blackstone (March 28, 1829 – May 26, 1900) was an American railroad executive, businessman, philanthropist, and politician. He is descended from William Blaxton, an early settler of New England. He worked in the railroad industr ...

as a memorial to his father, James Blackstone. It was designed by Chicago architect

Solon Spencer Beman Solon Spencer Beman (October 1, 1853 – April 23, 1914) was an American architect based in Chicago, Illinois and best known as the architect of the Urban planning, planned Pullman, Chicago, Pullman community and adjacent Pullman Company factory ...

. Construction on the building began in 1893 and was completed in 1896. The building was dedicated on June 17, 1896. There is also a

Blackstone Library T. B. Blackstone Memorial Library is part of the Chicago Public Library (CPL) System and is named for library benefactor Timothy Blackstone. The building was designed by Chicago architect Solon S. Beman. It is now known as the Chicago Public L ...

in Chicago, which is part of the Chicago Public Library System, and was named after Timothy Blackstone. This library was also designed by Solon Spencer Beman.

History

In 1890, the need for a public library in Branford was identified and a committee was formed to solicit funds. The committee reached out to Timothy Blackstone, who was born in Branford but had since moved to Chicago, where he was the president of the

Chicago and Alton Railroad The Alton Railroad was the final name of a railroad linking Chicago to Alton, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; and Kansas City, Missouri. Its predecessor, the Chicago and Alton Railroad , was purchased by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1931 an ...

. Timothy was the son of James Blackstone, who was born in Branford in 1793 and died there in 1886. The library cost $300,000 to build, contributed by Timothy. He also provided the library with an additional endowment of $300,000. Timothy directed that his endowment be used to build the library in the name of his father, James Blackstone. James, a Branford native, had been a farmer and a captain in the Connecticut Militia, as well as an honored community leader. The town followed Timothy's directions, but after his death decided to cement a plaque with Timothy's name at the main entrance. Work on the Blackstone Library began in 1893 under the direction of Solon Spencer Beman, a Chicago architect. He designed the library in the

Neoclassical Revival Neoclassical architecture, sometimes referred to as Classical Revival architecture, is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy, France and Germany. It became one of the most promin ...

style with details taken from the

Erechtheum The Erechtheion (, Latinisation of names, latinized as Erechtheum ; , ) or Temple of Athena Polias is an Classical Greece, ancient Greek Ionic order, Ionic Ancient Greek temple, temple on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens, Acropolis, Athe ...

of the Athenian

Acropolis An acropolis was the settlement of an upper part of an ancient Greek city, especially a citadel, and frequently a hill with precipitous sides, mainly chosen for purposes of defense. The term is typically used to refer to the Acropolis of Athens ...

. The exterior of the building, including the dome, is entirely of Tennessee Pink marble. The library took nearly three years to complete, and was dedicated on June 17, 1896. At the main entrance to the library are two bronze doors, each weighing nearly 2,000 pounds. The doors were designed by William Fitzroy Smith. They feature two lion's paws resting on mother earth and at the top is a small ram's head. An owl symbolizes human wisdom. The center forms a torch which is framed with medallions and cords. Beyond the doors is the rotunda, the central feature of the building. The rotunda is paved with marble mosaic floor tiles that were designed in Paris for the library. At the top of the rotunda is the dome, embellished with large paintings that illustrate the history of book making. The 6' x 9' paintings were done by

Oliver Dennett Grover Oliver Dennett Grover (1861 Earlville, Illinois – 1927 Chicago), was an American landscape and mural painter, the son of lawyer Alonzo Jackson Grover. Early life Grover's family moved to Chicago early in his life. There he spent much of his t ...

, a Chicago painter. There are also eight medallion portraits of New England authors between the arches in the center of the second floor. The authors are:

Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (; June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American author and Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist. She came from the religious Beecher family and wrote the popular novel ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (185 ...

;

James Russell Lowell James Russell Lowell (; February 22, 1819 – August 12, 1891) was an American Romantic poet, critic, editor, and diplomat. He is associated with the fireside poets, a group of New England writers who were among the first American poets to r ...

; Oliver Wendell Holmes;

John Greenleaf Whittier John Greenleaf Whittier (December 17, 1807 – September 7, 1892) was an American Quaker poet and advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. Frequently listed as one of the fireside poets, he was influenced by the Scottish poet ...

;

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include the poems " Paul Revere's Ride", '' The Song of Hiawatha'', and '' Evangeline''. He was the first American to comp ...

;

Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne (né Hathorne; July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associat ...

;

Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803April 27, 1882), who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, minister, abolitionism, abolitionist, and poet who led the Transcendentalism, Transcendentalist movement of th ...

;

William Cullen Bryant William Cullen Bryant (November 3, 1794 – June 12, 1878) was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the '' New York Evening Post''. Born in Massachusetts, he started his career as a lawyer but showed an interest in poe ...

. The first librarian was Arthur W. Tyler who held the position from 1896 to 1898. When it opened, the library contained 6,000 books.

Library services

As of 2011, the library houses approximately 80,000 volumes (circulating over twice that many annually), and provides access to thousands of eBooks and audiobooks. The library serves a population of more than 29,000 residents. The library is home to a number of public computers to use free of charge, as well as free wireless internet access. It offers many programs and events to the public, including lectures, movies, plays and musical recitals. The Associate Librarian for Reference, Barbara Cangiano, was the 2004 recipient of the New York Times Librarian Award for her outstanding service. There is a small meeting room, the Lucy Hammer room, as well as an auditorium in the library available for use by the public. Meetings, lectures, movies and weddings are held here. The library also has a Friends group that works to support the library through a variety of fundraising events. Although the library receives funds from the town of Branford, it is a private entity governed by a board of trustees.

References

External links

Blackstone Library Website
{{authority control Library buildings completed in 1896 Buildings and structures in Branford, Connecticut Solon Spencer Beman buildings Public libraries in Connecticut Libraries in New Haven County, Connecticut