The 1917 Noah Webster Memorial Library building is a historic library building at 7 North Main Street in

West Hartford, Connecticut West Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, west of downtown Hartford. The population was 64,083 at the 2020 census. The town's popular downtown area is colloquially known as "West Hartford Center," or simply "The C ...

. Built to a design by the Hartford firm

Davis & Brooks Davis & Brooks was an American architectural firm based in Hartford, Connecticut, active from 1897 to 1919. It was established by F. Irvin Davis (1869-1944) and William F. Brooks (1872-1950). Among their projects is the Hartford Municipal Buil ...

, it is a prominent local example of Colonial Revival architecture. It housed the town library (founded in 1897) between 1917 and 1937, and later served as a

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

YWCA The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries. The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...

hall and a senior center. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1981. It is now used as a commercial space.

Description and history

The former Noah Webster Memorial Library building stands at the southwest corner of North Main and Brace Streets, a short way north of the cluster of West Hartford's main civic buildings. It is a two-story masonry structure, built out of red brick with marble and wooden trim. Its front facade, facing North Main Street, is dominated by a massive four-column Classical portico, with wooden columns supporting an entablature and fully pedimented gable with oculus window. Flanking the portico are tall multisash windows, with Palladian windows at the building ends. The entrance consists of two modern doors, above which is a half-round transom window. The interior, despite its later uses, retains a number of original features, including woodwork around the windows and fireplaces. West Hartford's public library had its origins in a lending library established in the mid-19th century by the local Congregational church, which was opened to the general public in 1883. The town formally took over the collection in 1897, and it continued to be housed in the church. This building was constructed in 1915-17 through the efforts of the local chapter of the

Daughters of the American Revolution The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. A non-profit group, they promote ...

(DAR). It was designed by the Hartford architectural partnership of F. Irwin Davis and William Brooks, and was formally dedicated in 1917. DAR fundraising efforts fell short during construction, and was finished with funds appropriated by the town. By 1937 the building was judged inadequate for the library's needs, and a new building was erected on South Main Street near the town hall. This building was then adapted for use by local

and

organizations, and then as a senior center.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places National Register of Historic Places in West Hartford, Connecticut Colonial Revival architecture in Connecticut Library buildings completed in 1917 Buildings and structures in Hartford County, Connecticut Libraries in Connecticut 1917 establishments in Connecticut

Description and history

See also

References