HomeMy WebLinkAboutHomecoming '87, 1987-07-01, Page 5THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1987. PAGE A-5.
_Homecoming '87_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Carnegie Library was pride of the village in 1910
In these days of television, radio,
videotape players, and Sony Walk-
man’s, books don’t hold the
excitement they once did for area
natives at the turn of the century
but the Brussels branch of the
Huron County Public Library still
has a prominent place on the
village’s main street.
The classical architecture of the
library illustrated the style of the
period in which it was built. The
Library opened on January 14,
1910. The building was put up with
the assistance of a $6,500 grant
from Andrew Carnegie who was
providing money for many librar
ies throughout North America at
the time.
Planning for the present library
building began a year earlier. In
February 1909 when the village's
Public Library Board resolved to
ask the village council for a grant to
buy a site for a library building. A
lot at the corner of Turnberry and
Mill streets was purchased from
Harry James for $375.
On March 27 the Library Board
met to consider the proposals of
three architects. The plans of a Mr.
Ireland of Stratford were accepted.
The building was to be 46 by 50
feet. Not everybody was pleased
with the plans and a meeting of
village council was held on April 1
with a local lawyer representing
the opposition but the opposition
came from a small enough minority
that the plans went ahead.
Theacceptedplanwas sentto
Mr. Carnegie’s office in New York
for approval. Approval was receiv
ed on May 15 and on May 26 the
tender for the construction of the
building was letto a Mr. Hunter for
$5,960.
Excavation for the new building
began by the end of the month. By
Dec. 30th the building was finished
enough that the first meeting of the
library board could be held there.
Members of the board present
were W. H. Kerr (chairman),
John Leckie, F.S. Scott, D. Robb,
J.H. Cameron, Rev. Powell and W.
Leatherdale. Librarian when the
new building opened was Jessie
Kerr. During the summer of 1910
work went on to improve the yards
and by Dec. 8, 1910, the Brussels
Post was able to brag: Brussels
possesses the neatest and most
modern public library in five
counties.”
Itwas a heyday of the village.
There were more than 40 business-
es along main street as well as
other commercial firms and pro
fessionals. The main street was lit
by arc lights.
The value of libraries was high in
the last century and the early part
of this. The cost of reading material
whether books or magazines was
far higher in relation to people’s
incomes. Yet the printed word was
the only method most people had of
becoming more eduated or disco
vering a world outside their own
village or even their own conces
sion. The first library in Brussels,
as in many similar communities in
the area, was operated by the
Mechanics’ Institute. The Me
chanics’ Institute Library and
Reading Room in Brussels was
incorporated in 1874 and was
located in the Holmes Block over
Smale’s Store. It was open Wed
nesday and Friday from six to
seven p.m. and Saturdays from
four to six p. m. The Librarian was a
Miss Ross who served until 1887.
A financial report from the
Mechanics’ Institute, probably
about 1880, showed there were 28
members of the institute and the
cost of subscribing to the library
was $1 per year. A record of the
books available shows 572 volumes
ranging from biography and his
tory through fiction to voyages and
travels.
At some point in this early
Andrew Carnegie provided a grant of $6,500 to help with the building of the Brussels Library building in
1910. Today the library and its meeting rooms still play an active part in the community.
history the library was destroyed
by fire, probably in one of the
periodic fires that ravaged pioneer
main streets. A report says,
however, that a new reading room
was opened with two good rooms
upstairs over a bank. There were
now 46 subscribers at $1 each.
At the end of the century
Municipal Library Boards were set
up to provide library services. It
was after this that the drive began
for a better facility to house the
Brussels Library.
The New Carnegie Library
became a focal point of the
community. In 1911, 6,209 books
were taken out for the year with 269
people using the library. There
were 3,816 books in the library.
In 1914 the Presbyterian church
and Sunday School made use of the
library for services while the new
church was being built. The
Women’s Institute hosted cooking
demonstrations and the Farmer’s
Continued on page A-23
to our good neighbours in the
VILLAGE OF BRUSSELS
On behalf of the citizens of the Village of Blyth,
we extend Best Wishes on the occasion of your...
115th Birthday
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Back [left to right]: William Manning, Mervin Ritchie, William Howson, Lloyd Sippel. Front: Bev Elliott.
Albert Wasson, Helen Grubb.
REEVE:
3) COUNCILLORS:
Albert A. Wasson
William A. Manning
William Howson
Lloyd Sippel
Bev Elliott
CLERK TREASURER: Helen Grubb
TOWN FOREMAN: Mervin Ritchie
PUBLIC UTILITY CHAIRMAN: James Howson
COMMISSIONER:
COMMISSIONER:
Albert A. Wasson
Donald Noble
The Village of Blyth and
Blyth Public Utilities Commission