The Nevins Memorial Library at 305 Broadway in
Methuen, Massachusetts
Methuen () is a 23-square-mile (60 km2) city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 53,059 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Methuen lies along the northwestern edge of Essex County, just east of Midd ...
was built in 1883 to honor
David Nevins, Sr. as a
memorial
A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects such as home ...
gift
A gift or present is an item given to someone (who is not already the owner) without the expectation of payment or anything in return. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation of reciprocity, a gift is intended to be free. In many cou ...
from his wife Eliza Nevins (née Eliza Coffin), his elder son
David Nevins, Jr., and his younger son Henry Coffin Nevins. The library is located at 305 Broadway in Methuen and was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1984.
The Nevins Memorial Library offers resources including free
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for Wireless LAN, local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by ...
internet access
Internet access is a facility or service that provides connectivity for a computer, a computer network, or other network device to the Internet, and for individuals or organizations to access or use applications such as email and the World Wide ...
,
book clubs, an outreach program to deliver books and media for homebound individuals, and so on. The library is also the custodian of the Nevins Memorial Library Historic Collection, much of which is in storage and for which viewing appointments should be made. The collection includes
manuscript
A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has ...
s and printed materials,
genealogical
Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kin ...
resources,
vital records
Vital records are records of life events kept under governmental authority, including birth certificates, marriage licenses (or marriage certificates), separation agreements, divorce certificates or divorce party and death certificates. In some j ...
, assorted ''objet d'art'' and collectables, and the
stained glass
Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
windows of the library itself.
Gallery
Image:Nevins Memorial Library 1883.jpg, Photograph of the newly constructed Nevins Memorial Library in 1883
Image:Nevins Library First Librarians.jpg, Photograph of three of Nevins Memorial Library's earliest librarians. Seated at the table in the Reference Room are: Miss Alice Chase, Miss Crosby and Miss Tooday Dorsey. Reference books are in the background and artifacts from the Nevins Historic Collection (Pheasant, Vase, Table and Richsonian Chair) are visible.[Original is 4X6 sepia photograph from the Nevins Memorial Historic Collection]
Image:Nevins Memorial Library Interior.jpg, Present day interior of the original room
See also
*
*
References
Further reading
* Harriet Howe Ames
Catalogue of the Nevins Memorial Library, Methuen, Massachusetts Boston: Franklin Press, 1887
External links
Nevins Memorial Library Website
Library buildings completed in 1883
Libraries on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Buildings and structures in Methuen, Massachusetts
Libraries in Essex County, Massachusetts
National Register of Historic Places in Methuen, Massachusetts
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