The Romance of Norwalk

The spirit of Dotha Stone Pinneo, strong but gentle, sym¬ pathetic but not sentimental, gracious, generous; a spirit as steady and deep seated as her own principles, created and sustained the Norwalk public library which we know today. A circulating library with a membership fee of $2 was in¬ corporated May 7, 1879, to satisfy the desires of the read¬ ing public of Norwalk. For many years the people were served by the little circulating library which gradually grew larger and larger until it could not longer be confined in such a limited institution. The library was taken over by the city of Norwalk and on July 18, 1896, was formally opened as the City of Norwalk Public Library. Miss Pinneo at that time took up the duties of librarian, being the first to head the new city institution. The librarian, not a Nor- walker, came here in 1890 full of enthusiasm and the zest of life and determined to do her part in the community. It was not long before she became well known all through the east. She was the originator of the Story Teller’s hour in libraries, was an excellent lecturer, in fact, had been lecturer on history for the New York board of education for ten years; and was for 12 years secretary of the Connecticut state Federation of Women’s Clubs. The Norwalk public library was first located next to the old Boston store, which stood on the northwest corner of Wall and Main sts., where a new business block was re¬ cently completed. Later it moved to the Norwalk club build¬ ing, 67 Wall st. When the 20th century opened, a concerted effort began to gain for the Norwalk library a 330 ROMANCE OF NORWALK home of its own. Miss Pinneo was a leading figure in this movement, and one of those who sought out Andrew Car¬ negie to enlist his interest in the cause. Through the efforts of Miss Pinneo, the Hon. E. J. Hill and Dr. James G. Gregory, the first president of the board of directors, the main floor of the present structure on the corner of Mott and Belden Aves., was erected in 1903. Mr. Carnegie gave $20,ooo ’for the building. Hubert Bishop of this city donated the grounds on which it stands. The lower floor was finished in 1912 through the efforts of Miss Pinneo, the Civic League and a bequest from Mrs. Marie P. James of $1,000. Citizens contributed about $5,000 for furniture and fittings, and at that time the whole plant was valued at about $39,000. The present value would be more than $75,000. Under Miss Pinneo’s direc¬ tion, the Norwalk public library prospered. The circle of readers grew broader and broader; likewise the usefulness of the institution constantly widened. But fate did not intend that the energetic librarian should enjoy for long the fruit of her labors. One pouring wet Saturday night, November 1, 1919, Miss Pinneo and her co-worker, Miss Margaret Wilson, were knocked down by a speeding automobile, just outside the library. Miss Pinneo was the more seriously injured, her injuries later causing her death, February 7, 1924. All Norwalk mourned this friend of all friends and a memorial fund was immediately commenced. Among those who sent donations was little Jean Chandler of Park st. who had earned $.25 expressly for the fund. After the fund was raised, the committee in charge discovered that it had sufficient money on hand, not only to place on the walls of the library a fitting mural tablet honoring the woman who for 28 years had served the city as librarian, but also to refit the library auditorium, a long unfulfilled dream of Dotha Stone Pinneo’s. The Norwalk library today is ably carrying on its work under the direction of Miss Margaret Wilson, fit follower in the footsteps of Miss Pinneo. Miss Wilson has gone far to- LIBRARIES— TELEPHONES 33i ward bringing the library up to the high standard it enjoys today. She has given much time along lines outside her regular library work; talked before schools and clubs; given explanatory talks to groups of boys and girls at the library and made the children’s book week started by Miss Pinneo in 1918, one of the most successful of the library under¬ takings. Working with Miss Wilson are nine directors ap¬ pointed for three years each. Dr. James G. Gregory is president of the board and Thomas C. Balcom, secretary and treasurer. The first taxing district supports the insti¬ tution with an appropriation of $9,000, and the present cir¬ culation of books is eight to every man, woman and child within its confines. During the years since the Norwalk Library came into existence, a large number of gifts have been received, a partial list being given in the appendix. ROWAYTON LIBRARY “The evolution of the Rowayton Free Library from an idea, to an accomplished fact, was simple, and on the surface, almost meteoric, in the rapidity with w7hich it de¬ veloped,” says Mary Frances Hackley in a report sent to the Connecticut Library Committee on the Rowayton library organized in 1903. Monday evening, December 28, 1903, the Rowayton Free Library and Reading room opened with a reception in a room rented for $4 a month in Craw’s Hall, M rs. w. j. c raw, owner, on Rowayton ave., near McKinley st., a little below Guider’s corner. The quarters had previously been a store so there were plenty of shelves for the books already gathered, some 300 in all. These consisted of the first gift, 29 volumes from Mrs. John Sherman Hoyt of Contentment Island, Tokeneke, and loans from Mrs. Craw, Dr. and Mrs. Charles E. Hackley and Miss Mary Hackley, besides collections loaned by the state board of public libraries and the Bodley club library. The first furnishings were donated by Mrs. Craw, Mrs. Charles Guider, Mrs. Hackley and others. Miss Jennie Scott 332 ROMANCE OF NORWALK was the first librarian. The first officers were: Mrs. Craw, president; Mrs. Guider, first vice president; Mrs. J. H. Slater, now Mrs. John Flint, second vice president; Miss Hacklev, secretary and treasurer; Mrs. Edgar Lane, chair¬ man of the book committee; Mrs. Hackley, chairman of the entertainment and room committee; Dr. Hackley, chairman of the advisory committee. The association was duly in¬ corporated in Hartford, July, 1905. In the beginning the library depended for support on subscriptions and benefit affairs, one of these being a moon¬ light carnival, in which the late John Huffington, noted Rowayton artist, appeared as an Indian chieftain, garbed in white, in a white canoe: “The Spirit of Tokeneke.” In 1922 the sixth taxing district taxed itself $100 for the library. This amount was raised to $500 in 1927. From time to time artist exhibitions have been held at the library under the direction of Miss Mabel Thomas. In 1926 the library purchased the building formerly occupied by the Reliance Hook and Ladder Co. in Rowayton ave. The auditorium in the present building is rented as occasion offers, for community affairs. According to the last annual report of the librarian, the Rowayton library boasted no less than 7,514 visitors during 1928-1929. There are 4,407 books on the shelves today. Librarians have included: Miss Jennie Scott, Miss Elizabeth Pennell, Miss Patton of New Haven, Miss Clara Raymond of Darien, Mrs. Leach, Miss Beatrice DeWaters, Miss Clara Raymond of East Norwalk, Miss Maria Millspaugh, Miss Dorothy Wells, Miss Willa Smith, Miss Mayla Sco¬ field, Miss Shirley Bowman, and Mrs. Henry Wing, present able custodian. The present board includes: Mrs. Percy Barrett, president; Mrs. Edgar Lynch, first vice president; Mrs. Harold Douglas, second vice president; Mrs. George Wright, recording secretary; Mrs. Harry Taylor, corres¬ ponding secretary; Mrs. Ira Kiggins, treasurer; Mrs. C. B. Albrecht, book committee; Mrs. Edgar Raymond, mem¬ bership committee; Mrs. Edgar Lynch, entertainment and LIBRARIES— TELEPHONES 333 house committee; Mrs. Douglas, advisory board; Mrs. Earle Stevens, publicity. Mention should here be made of the very first Rowayton library, commenced in the early i86o’s, according to Mrs. H. Crosswell Tuttle, formerly of Rowayton and now of New York, and mother of U. S. Attorney Charles H. Tuttle of New York. George Palmer Putnam, New York pub¬ lisher, got together the first volumes, she says. A room was secured over one of the village shops, and a one legged veteran put in charge. Among those who assisted in the raising of funds, according to Mrs. Tuttle, was Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Herald Tribune, who gave benefit lectures in Rowayton. The library progressed for a time, then the one legged veteran suddenly dis¬ appeared, taking with him all the library money and as many books as he could carry. The library closed shortly afterwards. EAST NORWALK LIBRARY The appeal of an invalid girl, who wanted the East Nor¬ walk Improvement association to find means whereby free books might be distributed in the community, brought about the organization of the East Norwalk library in 1915. Three years previous to this time the association, alive to the growing need for a public hall in East Norwalk, planned in the winter of 1912, the Community hall which now stands at 51 Van Zant st. A canvass was made for contributions toward payment for grounds, small envelopes being dis¬ tributed among the homes. When collected, one envelope from an invalid girl contained $.37 and her request that the association give out free books when Community hall was built. This request for reading matter so appealed to the asso¬ ciation that it voted to work toward establishing a public library which would eventually be located in the hall, and its school committee was instructed to organize a library 334 ROMANCE OF NORWALK committee to work toward this end. This committee, con¬ sisting of Mrs. Ellis H. Taylor, chairman, Mrs. George E. Thompson, Mrs. Frank Bissell, Mrs. Wallace Marvin and Mrs. Edward Robertson, formulated plans and on January 9, 1915, opened a library in Rundle’s Bakery on Van Zant st. The equipment at the time consisted of 100 books, a gift from the Norwalk Library, through Miss Dotha Stone Pinneo, librarian, and a Connecticut state loan of 60 books. These were promptly added to by other friends.