Fulton Public Library - Fulton, NY
Posted by: 
PTCrazy
N 43° 19.195 W 076° 24.951
18T E 385196 N 4797315
This is the Fulton, New York public Library which received funding from the Carnegie Foundation beginning in 1901 to help build the current building and cover other expenses.
Waymark Code: WM28CT
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 09/21/2007
Views: 77
Originally supported as a free library through public subscriptions and grants, the Fulton Public Library was Chartered in 1895 by the New York State Education Department. It was housed in the old Fourth Street High School and contained books from the High School and Falley Seminary and was used by students only.
In November 1898 it moved to a room in the Phillips Block at #7 South First Street (above the W.J. Watson drug store). The long, narrow second floor room was lined with bookshelves and scattered with potted plants and had large windows at each end. Mrs. Helen Emens served as librarian. The library was free to the public; children were allowed to borrow one book a week. The collection numbered over 4,000 books in 1900, and circulated around 25,000 books in the same year.
In 1902, after many requests, a letter received from Andrew Carnegie said if the city would find a suitable site and pledge at least $1,500 a year, he would donate $15,000 for the building. Finally, a 120' by 50' site next to the river at 160 South First Street was agreed upon. Syracuse architects and D. E. Wadsworth, a local construction firm, built it.
An old stone building which had been housing for canal workers was demolished, with the stone being used for the library's foundation. Stone from this abandoned quarry was also used in the construction of Auburn Prison. Cornerstone laying took place in June 1905; Mrs. Emens directed moving and opening in February 1906. A gentleman named Marlon H. Brando, not the actor, also assisted with the library. The building was made of native stone, Gouverneur marble, litholite, and brick, with a slate roof. The interior woodwork is quartered oak with oak and tile floors.
The Carnegie Building was designated an Oswego County Historical Landmark in 1985, and was added to the State and National Registers of Historic Places in 1999.
A local doctor, Henry deForest, designed the Library's unique bookplate in 1930, basing it on area Native American lore. Although the bookplate recently had hiatus of a few years recently, in July 2005 was reprinted and returned to use. It is now in the front of every book we put on the shelves.
The Carnegie Main Library now houses ten computers for public use (six with Internet access, learning and games software, word processing and more; three public access catalogs and one off-line worstation for learning computing skills, typing, and various software products), over 40,000 books, video and audio tapes, CD's, DVDs, Talking Books, 80 annual subscriptions to newspapers and magazines, video tapes of the Common Council for the past two years, a vast collection of local history and genealogy materials and a number of informational databases. Some of theses materials are available for in-library use, only. There are also Internet-ready computers at the Vayner Branch, as well as an additional 9 magazine subscriptions, 10,000 books, videos and etc. and both locations have regular programs for children.
Address of Library Building:
160 South 1st Street
Fulton, NY USA
13069
Current Use of Building: Library
Year Built (optional): 1905
Website about building: [Web Link]
|
Visit Instructions:
To log a waymark in this category:
1. Please provide at least one photograph of the building. Additional photographs are encouraged.
2. Describe your experience.
No additional visit instructions will be added for individual waymarks. Additional instructions will result in waymark being declined.