The Old Olean Library is a historic beaux arts library located at 116 S. Union St. in Olean,

Cattaraugus County, New York Cattaraugus County (locally known as Catt County) is a county in Western New York, with one side bordering Pennsylvania. As of the United States 2020 census, the population was 77,042. The county seat is Little Valley. The county was created ...

. The library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It is located in the Union and State Streets Historic District.

History

Olean Library Association

On March 25, 1871, the "Olean Library Association" was established by a small group of public-spirited citizens. The first meeting was held in Miss Lyon's school house on Laurens Street. In May 1871, the library settled in the rear of John G. Pelton's tailor shop (located on the west side of North Union Street, midway between Laurens and State streets). It was open only 1 day per week, Saturday from 1-9 PM. Annual dues were $2.00 for gentlemen and $1.00 for ladies. 697 books formed the collection. On September 30, 1878, the library moved to a new home under the supervision of Charles Gillingham. It was located in a room rented from P.J. Hastings in what was known as the Berg (or Birge, after Norman Birge, a harness maker who owned the block). Later, it moved to quarters on the second floor of the Exchange Bank building, and then to 102 Hamilton Street where it remained until 1889.

Forman Library

On June 12, 1888, the library was renamed in honor of

George V. Forman George V. Forman (December 3, 1841 – October 22, 1922) was a founder of VanderGrift, Forman & Company, which became part of the Standard Oil Company. Forman was also a prominent Buffalo banker in the late 1800s and early 1900s, founding the F ...

, who donated the property and building. Forman was a founder of "Vandergrift, Forman & Company," which became part of the

Standard Oil Company Standard Oil Company, Inc., was an American oil production, transportation, refining, and marketing company that operated from 1870 to 1911. At its height, Standard Oil was the largest petroleum company in the world, and its success made its co-f ...

. The library moved into its new home on Forman property on April 2, 1889.

"Old" Olean Public Library

On December 13, 1906, the charter which was granted by the Board of Regents of New York State named the institution "The Olean Public Library" and it became a free library. In April 1909, the library relocated to the second floor of City Hall while the " Carnegie Library" was being built on the Forman property. The cornerstone for Carnegie building was laid on July 3, 1909.

Features

The library is a historic, built in 1909, with funds provided by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie was one of 3,000 such libraries constructed between 1885 and 1919, and one of 107 in New York State. Carnegie provided $40,000 () toward the construction of the Olean library. The building was designed by architect

Edward L. Tilton Edward Lippincott Tilton (19 October 1861 – 5 January 1933) was an American architect, with a practice in New York City, where he was born. He specialized in the design of libraries, completing about one hundred in the U.S. and Canada, in ...

in the Beaux-Arts style. The interior features a grand stairway and entrance, large rooms, and central atrium. ''See also:'' The Carnegie building was opened May 23, 1910 and a period of growth in the size and scope of the collection and patronage began almost immediately. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

"New" Olean Public Library

In the early 1970s, a new site was secured for the library and on September 21, 1973, the library opened at 134 North Second Street in a former Loblaws Supermarket. The modern facility continues to meet the changing informational needs of the community. The mission of the Olean Public Library is to improve the community's quality of life by providing equal access to materials in various formats, programming and services for patrons of all ages, and a capable and professional staff available to assist members of the greater Olean community in support of their educational, informational, and leisure needs.

Present day

The original

NRHP 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 ...

listed "Olean Public Library" was occupied by the "Olean Historical Society" and the "Department of Aging" from 1974 to 1979. In 1982, the Olean Board of Education sold the property to Louis Marra, which made possible the opening of The Old Library Restaurant and "The Old Bed and Breakfast Library Inn."

References

External links

Olean Public Library WebsiteOlean Public Library Facebook PageOlean Public Library on TwitterOlean Public Library on FlickrOlean Public Library BlogHistorical marker/historic landmark for Olean Public Library in Olean, NY
{{Authority control Library buildings completed in 1909 Libraries on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) Carnegie libraries in New York (state) Beaux-Arts architecture in New York (state) Edward Lippincott Tilton buildings Buildings and structures in Cattaraugus County, New York 1871 establishments in New York (state) National Register of Historic Places in Cattaraugus County, New York Historic district contributing properties in New York (state)