History

The Wilder Memorial Library – Then and Now

As the renovation and reimagining of the Wilder Memorial Library comes to fruition, it’s appropriate to take a look back and compare the “Then and Now” of this venerable structure.

While the current structure dates from about 1820, there was mention of a dwelling house, barn and outhouses where the Wilder Memorial Library stands today as early as 1803. There was a potash works and a tannery there during this time operated by Icabod Onion and Ebenezer White. John Wilder occupied the building when he first came to Weston until his fine home across the street was built in 1827. The old building, now the library, was a tenement house for quite some time. In the latter half of the 19th century the building was painted white and had a center chimney. It housed a shoemaker’s shop and Peter Fagan’s tailor shop on the first floor, with living quarters in the attic/half story.

After marrying Emma Wilder, Lewis Parkhurst bought and restored the house, and in 1908, presented it to the town as the “Wilder Memorial Library.” While the library was open for business on July 28, 1909, its formal dedication was held during Old Home Week in 1912 according to our notes (and the photo below). The beautiful painted arched glass window on the west side is a memorial to the Parkhurst’s son, Wilder Parkhurst, who died in 1904 as a student at Dartmouth College.

The original building, constructed as a dwelling, is described as a 1 1/2 story, 5×1 bay, brick Cape in the submission to the National Register of Historic Places application. The brick is laid in Flemish bond, and the building has a Granick block/brick foundation and slate roof. The Colonial Revival elements were added during the 1908 renovation and conversion to the library. The 1908 renovation also opened up the upper (half) story to expose the ridge and supported with natural-finish oak hammerbeam trusses.

A beautiful old building, now being updated and expanded to meet the needs of the day (just as was done in 1908) the Wilder Memorial Library retains most of the key and historical features that makes it one of Weston’s enduring treasures. Retained are the front façade and porch with the new elements gracefully flowing from the old to the new. 

-Howie Brosseau, Weston Historical Society

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HISTORY OF LIBRARY BUILDING AS TOLD BY

LIBRARIAN, LENA MANSUR IN 1982

The Library building was once the home of Judge John Wilder who lived there in 1827. He kept the post office in the building and was Postmaster from 1830 until 1851. John Wilder was also State Representative in 1828, a Selectman of Weston (1834-37) and a State Senator (1858-59).

In 1907 the building was purchased by the descendants of John Wilder and after proper renovation was deeded to the Town of Weston in 1909 (for a cost of $1 ).

The interior paneling was done by Harry Lawrence, Sr. who later married Mabel French. Lawrence lived in Ludlow at the time of the Library renovation where he had a cabinet maker’s shop. While working in Weston, he lived at a Weston boarding house operated by the Mother of Harry Simonds. Mabel French worked at the Boarding House and we can assume that Harry Lawrence started courting her at that time. Nancy Jane French, the aunt of Lena French Mansur was the first librarian. Mabel French followed her as librarian until 1916 when she married Harry Lawrence.

The Wilder Memorial Library officially opened its doors on July 28, 1909.

EXCERPT FROM TOWN REPORT: YEAR ENDING FEBRUARY 1910

During the past year many changes have occurred to the library and its system. So we trust you will all excuse an inconvenience it may have been to you in not always being able to get just the book you wanted to read.

June 18th, we moved into the new library—the “Wilder Memorial Library,” and on July 28th opened it for public use. I am sure we all appreciate the gift of such a coy little home for our books and papers. It has required considerable work to re-classify the books. But now we have a system that is approved by the best library authorities, and in the years to come must be better even for us. The work is nearly done and we trust that by March you will be able to read any book in the library.

During the past year fifty new books have been received, making a total of eleven hundred and forty-five volumes. There is also an excellent supply of papers and magazines. During the month of January sixty-four different people visited the library and manifested an increasing interest in its work, by taking out 140 books and 35 magazines. Our librarian suggests that some of us are past the school age, but that none of us are too old to learn. The library is their teacher and any may get a good education there is they will.