Civic Pride in a Lost America: Library Postcards
Connecticut Public Libraries
Cities R-Z
Divided from N-Q in early 2022.
Ridgefield (E.W. Morris Memorial Library)
Built in 1901. Replaced in FY 2012-13.
(L) Lovely hand-colored Albertype postcard, never mailed.
(R) Photo by C.F. Korker on a Dexter Press chrome NATCO brand card.
Rockville (George Maxwell Memorial Library)
August Schmelzer card mailed to Germany in 1921.
1904 building by Charles A. Platt. Believed to still be in use.
Rowayton
Still in use, sadly, after two major renovations.
In May 2015, they suffered from the aftermath of a burst pipe.
No one should go through all that.
This is a Mayrose brand postcard. The library does look much better on its website than here.
Salisbury
The Library has a 200 year history as a public institution. However, this building dates from the 1890s, and has a 1981 addition which assured proper service.
What an enormous clock it has!
J.G. Kimmerle card printed by A. Hess.
Seymour
Built in 1914. Destroyed in a 1955 flood.
This must be the worst applied automobile ever. The card was published by Morris Berman, and printed by New Process-Chrom.
They should have gone back to the Old Process.
Sharon (Hotchkiss Library)
1893 library building designed by Bruce Price. It's still in use.
Geo B. Klebes postcard was printed by PCK in Germany. It was mailed in 1909.
Shelton (Plumb Library)
Simsbury
Still in use, with extremely limited hours.
Collotype card, never mailed.
Somers
This was previously the shop of a cobbler, and became a library in 1896. It was moved, and now serves as a museum. The Eclectic building was replaced in 1963.
Postcard manufacturer is unknown.
This was the second dedicated library building, and served until 1982. Weirdly, Wikipedia states that this was the cobbler's house, but I find that hard to believe.
Cobbler's church, perhaps.
The Merrimack postcard was mailed in 1973.
South Coventry (Booth & Dimock Memorial Library)
Still in use. The 1913 building was expanded in the middle of the 20th century.
Linen finish Tichnor Quality View, annotated 1953.
Southport (Pequot Library)
On the National Register of Historic Places. If ever a building deserved the honor, this Romanesque gem does.
Designed by Robert H. Robertson in 1893, it became public in 1894. Of course, the Monroes (benefactors) couldn't swing a huge building by themselves, so the earliest library addition I know of appeared in 1897.
This was such a great institution that part of its collection went to Yale's Beinecke Library on permanent loan.
Collotype postcard, never mailed.
Stamford (Ferguson Library)
Became a free library in 1911. Expanded in 1930 and 1982. Still in use.
Tichnor Quality View in linen finish, never mailed.
Stonington
Strong library history page. Its architects were Clinton and Russell; and the contractors, Norcross Brothers.
The 1900 building was expanded in 1956 and 1990, and renovated in 2005.
The Dexter Press 'Silvercraft' card appears to date from the 1950s.
Suffield (Kent Memorial Library)
1899 building, replaced in 1972. The Suffield Academy now owns the building.
Collotype card, never mailed. Despite the company's location in New Jersey, there are a large number of Connecticut postcards produced by Collotype.
Thomaston
Also posted on the Carnegie library page, as Andrew Carnegie pitched in $1,700 in 1906 to bail out the library building from debt. The building had been built in 1900-1901 by Griggs and Hunt. The Library puts forth a convincing argument for the Carnegie involvement.
It was replaced by a 7,000 square foot building in 1971. Unusually, the two library buildings were connected rather than demolishing the old.
G.A. Lemmon postcard
Thompson
A 1987 Thompson Historical publication, the card bears the Library's history:
The Thompson Public Library, Thompson Hill, was dedicated September 25, 1902, having been built through efforts of Windham County historian and Thompson resident, Ellen D. Larned, and friends, through monies and labor from locat residents. The library collection has grown from 1,500 books to 25,000 books, periodicals and video tapes circulated among the Thompson Hill library, the North Grosvenordale branch and the bookmobile.
Since then, the library's website tells us that the new building is now in North Grosvenordale, and this location was closed. I hope it still stands.
Torrington
Its antecedent was the Wolcottville Library Association, until 1881.
This Earnest Greene building was built in 1901, and renovated in 1970.
This American News Company postcard was mailed in 1905.
Washington (Gunn Memorial Library)
Waterbury (Silas Bronson Library)
1894 Italian Renaissance building demolished in 1968.
The Library currently serves an urban, poorer base. It had an impressively bilingual web site at one point, but it's now in straightforward English.
West Hartford
Replaced, 1938.
This lovely Neoclassical (NB: this may be the only time you ever see me write this phrase.) building may have been demolished.
Aren't the autos great? This Colourpicture post card was sold by Capitol Novelty.
Westport
This building was built in 1908, funded by Morris K. Jesup. Replaced in 1986: fate unknown.
Card printed by Curt Teich for Morris Berman of New Haven.
This must be the 1956 wing. I can't really see the Jesup building, and the card was mailed with a 5¢ stamp. Its addressee was Big Wilson of WNBC radio.
Winsted (Beardsley and Memorial Library)
1899 Romanesque building, remodeled in 1985 and 2003. Still in use.
The Art Store postcard, with entire back, has an unusual detail: copper windows.
