The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Fair Haven Library marks 100 years
State Sen. Looney among visitors during celebration
NEW HAVEN — It all started with $20,000.
That isthe amount City Librarian and Director Martha L. Brogan said was donated by Andrew Carnegie’s charitable foundation in the 1910s to help establish Fair Haven Library, which on Saturday celebrated its 100th anniversary. The foundation donated $60,000 overall to build three libraries, though Brogan said Fair Haven Library is the sole remaining beneficiary in New Haven from Andrew Carnegie’s charitable foundation.
Despite a snowstorm, there were about 20 people in attendance during Saturday’s celebration, which included a young string quartet from Music Haven performing a mix of classical music and pop songs before the cake cutting.
Brogan said the library was originally dedicated on Dec. 7, 1917. The city added $8,000 to Carnegie’s donation to complete the library.
“This library was built for $28,000 in 1917,” Brogan said, an amount he noted would total about $580,000 today. “I would be thrilled if we can rebuild this library for half a million dollars. I think we can get that through the Alders very, very quickly.”
Brogan said the library will be seeking a study to determine possible costs associated with redeveloping the library.
Michael Morand, New Haven Free Public Library board of directors president, said he was glad to visit his neighborhood library.
Saturday marked another special milestone: Morand said on Dec. 9, 1793, Connecticut’s own Noah Webster founded the
American Minerva. The newspaper was New York City’s first daily.
“So it’s a good day for free speech,” Morand said. “And this library, like all of the New Haven Free Public Libraries, is a place for free speech and free inquiry.”
Libraries are a reminder of the importance of, “free access to information,” Morand said, especially in this current era.
“It’s particularly important, as things like net neutrality come under threat,” Morand said. “This is a place that ensures that everyone has access to information.”
Connecticut Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, D-New Haven, was among the guests. He joked that, despite his age, he was not present during the library’s first opening in 1917. Looney said he started visiting the library about 60 years ago, when he was a student at St. Rose School.
“There were several times, I would get so engrossed in reading something that I would forget to come home for dinner,” Looney said. “My mother would have to come over and drag me out of here and take me home.”
Looney said the library introduced him to a, “great world of books.”
“It was then, 60 years ago, and is now a wonderful place, a wonderful resource in our community for people of all ages,” Looney said. He added: “On this 100th anniversary of the Fair Haven Library, let’s all look forward to the next 100 years.”
Reach Esteban L. Hernandez at 203-680-991