The red brick landmark of the Mattapoisett Free Public Library standing at 7 Barstow Street since 1904 received financing for its building from a $10,000 donation from wealthy financier George Purrington and its property site from Ned’s Point summer resident from Boston Samuel Warren. This generous combination of gift from a town benefactor and a summer resident was a cooperative spirit of alliance benefiting the library that still lives on to this very day.
Before that, the books that found a home here had shuttled from pillar to post, first out of a private collection of Reverend Robbins then to the home of Isaiah Atsatt, and in 1842 they moved again to the east village schoolhouse. In 1899, the collection was combined with the original books of a Mrs. S. F. Swift and moved into its new home.
The library was initially open just two hours a day, three days a week, but in 1921, the milestone of a children’s section was added and continued evolving over the years as an elementary literary educational department. Equally as historic, in 1933, two full-time librarians, Miss Tilden and Miss Fox, had been hired to administrate care and distribution of some 9,716 books. The librarians would set a public relations tradition to interest the public, which played a vital role and fostered future support that would continue to grow over subsequent years.
This friendly and considerate conversation gradually built up a confidence to elevate the librarian’s personal respect into a perceived fountain of literary information. Even today, the expectations of a librarian’s literary knowledge varies from asking for advice on what to read to a discussion on a wealth of other topics that happen to come into the patron’s mind.
By the turn of the next century, growth of the Mattapoisett Library’s book collection resulted in an increased attendance, requiring additional administration and an eventual $5.5 million renovation and expansion project. For some twelve years, Frances H. Gordon, chairman of the Building Committee, and Judith E. Wallace, Library Director, with the dedicated support of Project Manager Robert A. Cattley, eventually brought the project to ribbon cutting ceremony. By July 16, 2008, they had raised $2 million in donations. In addition, the Town of Mattapoisett was awarded a $2 million LSTA Library Building Construction grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. The balance was made up with taxpayer support, leading to the final construction of the expanded facility, as illustrated in my drawing, with the two original benefactors looking down upon it with looks of approval for the endorsement of their original generosity.
Back in 1988, the Mattapoisett Free Public Library automated to join S.E.A.L. (Southeastern Automated Libraries,) and later S.E.A.L. merged with A.B.L.E. to form S.A.I.L.S. in the year 2000 (A.B.L.E. was a more northern group of libraries). The formation of this member-driven, non-profit entity facilitated the flow of literary and informational resources by many fold.
Two years ago, when I first walked in the door of the library as a new resident, I was immediately welcomed by Library Director Susan Pizzolato and her staff with a feeling that I had entered a whole new world of reading, research, programs, and Internet expertise. They made me feel at home with all their help to transmit my articles and scanned drawings to an equally receptive Wandererstaff.
Let me conclude by quoting Mark Twain on this subject in addressing the Board of Directors at Fairhaven’s Millicent Library dedication in 1894: “A public library is the most enduring of memorials. May there always be libraries, when by mutations of language, the books that are in them will always speak in a lost tongue to our posterity.” Allow me to add to his words of approval that we are truly blessed by looking back into history for preservation of our literary past, as well as to the established Mattapoisett tradition that is in good hands for the future.
By George B. Emmons
