Capt. Henry Hobart Mason Memorial Library - 1913 - Great Barrington, MA - Dated Architectural Structures Multifarious on Waymarking.com

The The Capt. Henry Hobart Mason Memorial Library is built on site of the childhood home of Laura Ingersoll Secord, who became the Canadian heroine of the War of 1812. Free public libraries in Great Barrington were organized in 1887 in the town hall. When the town acquired the Ingersoll house, Mary Augusta Mason, the widow of Capt. Henry Hobart Mason a Confederate army officer during the Civil War, provided funds for a new library building.

The Georgian Revival design by the architectural firm of Blanchard & Barnes won a competition to construct the library. The cornerstone was laid in April 1912, the library opened to the public in June 1913, and a dedication was held in July 1913. The brick building is set 100' back from Main Street. It is 70' feet long by 65' wide. The symmetrical façade of the library is five bays wide. A set of steps leads up to the entrance which has a double set of doors below an ornate shell design arch. Two sets of Pallidian windows flank the entrance. There are marble swags above the entrance and each window. The roof has a balustraded railing with a central cupola which has the coat of arms of Great Barrington. Chimneys are located at each end of the roof.

Year built or dedicated as indicated on the structure or plaque: 1913 Full Inscription (unless noted above): MASON LIBRARY 1913 Website (if available): [Web Link]

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