Library History
At the Town Meeting in 1871 the citizens of Ashland voted to raise $250.00 to purchase books in order to establish the Ashland Town Library. The first library was opened at Colonel Thomas P. Cheney’s home on Highland Street with his wife Mary acting as the first librarian. The library was moved several times to private homes until being housed in the Commercial Building and then to the Scribner Block. In 1895 the town built the Firemen’s Hall and the Ashland Town Library had its first permanent home sharing the space with the Fire Department (pictured below). The 1937 Town Meeting voted to accept the Emma Scribner bequest of her 19th century home and land on the corner of Main and Pleasant Street. The 1938 Town Meeting voted $500.00 to move the library to the Scribner Memorial Building. The first floor was extensively remodeled to house the library. The library was opened to the public in its current quarters on September 11, 1939.
PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN THE LAKES REGION: AN ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY
written by the Lakes Region Planning Commission, 1986
The former Scribner house was probably built before 1821 by blacksmith William Drake. However, the design of the house suggests that it was built or substantially remodeled in the mid-19th century. Later a two family tenement, the house became the home in the early 20th century of Mrs. Emma Scribner. Sometime between 1912 and 1923, Mrs. Scribner remodeled the building, removing the barn and most of the ell, but adding the sunporch. Mrs. Scribner died on September 11, 1936, leaving her home to the Town for use as a community center and library, as a memorial to her husband. The house required some remodeling to fill its new role as a library. The walls separating the central hall and three rooms on the first floor were removed and the stairway moved back to make the most of the first story. A flight of granite steps were built to give access from Main Street and a toolshed was built on the rear lawn. On September 11, 1939, the new library was opened to the public. The building has been re-sheathed with vinyl siding and interior renovations have included the removal of an upstairs bathroom, its replacement by a smaller first floor restroom, and the combination of two upstairs rooms.
written by the Lakes Region Planning Commission, 1986
The former Scribner house was probably built before 1821 by blacksmith William Drake. However, the design of the house suggests that it was built or substantially remodeled in the mid-19th century. Later a two family tenement, the house became the home in the early 20th century of Mrs. Emma Scribner. Sometime between 1912 and 1923, Mrs. Scribner remodeled the building, removing the barn and most of the ell, but adding the sunporch. Mrs. Scribner died on September 11, 1936, leaving her home to the Town for use as a community center and library, as a memorial to her husband. The house required some remodeling to fill its new role as a library. The walls separating the central hall and three rooms on the first floor were removed and the stairway moved back to make the most of the first story. A flight of granite steps were built to give access from Main Street and a toolshed was built on the rear lawn. On September 11, 1939, the new library was opened to the public. The building has been re-sheathed with vinyl siding and interior renovations have included the removal of an upstairs bathroom, its replacement by a smaller first floor restroom, and the combination of two upstairs rooms.
