return to: Andover Pages

History of Andover Free Library

The following is taken from the 1915 Annual Report of the Andover Free Library.  It was written by John E. Cannon and published in the Andover News.  Rewritten by William A. Greene Nov. 2004

            “The approach of the 50 anniversary of the founding of the first Library Society in Andover gives interest to a few of the outstanding facts concerning the establishment and growth of what is now the Andover Free Library.

            In the spring of 1896 a “Cooperative Library” was formed with 85 subscribers,  105 books and a few magazines.  The library was housed in the old Corner Drug Store of Benedict & VanNoy on the corner of Main and Greenwood Streets.  After a couple of years, the people lost interest in the enterprise, mostly because there were no new books and no income from which to purchase any.

            In 1898 a few citizens got together and organized the first FREE Library, with 214 books some few magazines and money subscribed to the amount of $184.  Rooms in the Metzger house were leased for its use.  A constitution was adopted in 1899 and in the same year the library was moved to the former B. C. Brundage law office where it remained until the new building was completed 14 years afterwards.

            On December 1, 1904 the Andover Free Library was incorporated under the Sate Board of Regents and a permanent charter was issued.

            Some of the facts leading up to the construction of the beautiful new building are interesting.  In 1911 our Library Board wrote Mr. Andrew Carnegie beseeching him to donate $5,000 for the erection of a library building in our town.  Being incorporated and having run successfully for several years, the gift was obtained with little difficulty.  One of the conditions of the grant, however, was that ten per cent of the cost of the building be appropriated annually by the people of Andover for its upkeep.  This appropriation was voted overwhelmingly at the next town meeting.

            The matter of site was happily solved by  Mrs. J. M. Brundage graciously donating the land.  Mr. Otis Dockstader of Elmira was engaged as the architect.  He submitted plans for a building to cost $5,000.  But when Scott Prest of Andover saw these plans, instead of taking the job for $5,000 as most contractors would have done, he said that he could build a much better building for the $5,000.  So Mr. Dockstader took his plans and in a few days came back with more elaborate ones and when Mr. Prest inspected these, he again said that he could and would erect a still better building for the $5,000, one having floors of steel and concrete, with a tile roof and otherwise made fire proof.  Mr. Dockstader, who was very much surprised at this unusual attitude on the part of the prospective builder, again went home and drew plans and specifications for a building estimated to be worth $10,000.  These were the plans and specifications that were accepted and the building was erected by Mr. Scott Prest at his own figures of $4,750, leaving as Scott said, $250  out of the grant with which to install a furnace.  Besides all this, Mr. Prest put into the book cases and other parts of the trim, real oak, instead of cheaper materials specified.

            This is how Andover came to have a $10,000 library building out of Mr. Carnegie’s $5,000 gift.”

 return to: Andover Pages