Physical Address: 141 Main Street, Hyde Park, VT
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 196, Hyde Park ,VT 05655
Lanpher Memorial Library Staff
Library Director: Amy Olsen
Assistant Director: Ruth Hay
Circulation Librarian: Christi Dussault
Lanpher Memorial Library Board of Trustees
Kim Austin Puleio, Chairperson
Melanie Dickinson, Secretary
Ann Spearing, Vice President
Jim Noyes, Treasurer
JoAnne Ring
Sigh Searles
Fran Aronovici
CURRENT HOURS:
Monday 12:00-7:00
Tuesday 10:00-5:00
Wednesday 10:00-5:00
Thursday Closed
Friday 10:00-5:00
Saturday 10:00-1:00
Sunday Closed
HISTORY OF THE LANPHER MEMORIAL LIBRARY
The Hyde Park Public Library was started in 1895, taking advantage of the 1894 law that encouraged towns without free public libraries to start their own collections with state assistance. Set up in a building on the common that contained the town hall, school, and court house, it was open one day a week.
A year later, the town and school libraries merged in the Town Building. In addition, a room was prepared in the Page office building which also may have housed the post office. Newspapers from across the state were available and the reading room was open all day (how many days is not clear.). There was much enthusiasm, and, since both sexes used the room, rules were made that included no smoking or noisy conversation.
Loomis H. Lanpher, a wealthy Elmore farmer, willed $5,000 to build the Lanpher Memorial Library in 1913, but it wasn't completed until 1916. Lanpher, born in nearby Lowell and raised in Hyde Park, had wanted to do something for the town, but his wishes were delayed when family members contested his will. After they withdrew their suit, a two-year dispute arose over the location for the new building--one group of townspeople wanted it on the school grounds, another in the village center.
In 1915, after proponents of the latter choice won, Russell C. Page purchased the lot to secure it for the library; later, private subscribers reimbursed him. McLean of Boston was architect and the building firm was Bergeron Brothers of Burlington. The library was completed in October 1916 and by April 1917, Mary Buckham, the first librarian in the new building, was ready to greet the public.
The Classical Revival/Chicago style of architecture, a rarity in Vermont, was considered very up-to-date at the time it was built. Set back from Main Street where VT Routes 15 and 100 meet, the outside has two distinctive features: a checkered brick pattern and an array of starburst windows.
The townspeople must have been proud of the library's neat lines, the slate hip roof, and corner pilasters. Inside features include large columns, rich dark woodwork, pocket doors that slide into the wall and separate the front and back rooms, and the rows of starburst windows that provide more light than expected.
As the town grew, the library’s collection grew as well, filling the existing 1056 square foot structure to bursting. An expansion was necessary to meet the needs of the town. Fundraising began in 1997 and the Cushman Design Group designed a two-story addition. Conklin Construction began work in June 2002, and the completed addition was opened to the public in 2005. The addition added 5004 square feet, more than quintupling the size of the library, providing room for more materials, additional computer workstations, and a meeting room on the second floor. The elevator ensures access to all members of the public.
In 2016 the Lanpher Memorial Library celebrated our 100th Anniversary with a ribbon cutting for the work done to make the Church Street entrance of the Library more accessible, with a fully compliant parking space and automatic door into the building.
Two annual awards were dedicated, The Lanpher Memorial Library Spirit of Community Award, recognizing and appreciating someone who has made an important contribution to the Lanpher Library; The Marrion Hood Legacy Award, given in memory of someone who made a lasting impact on the Lanpher Library.
The Hyde Park Public Library was started in 1895, taking advantage of the 1894 law that encouraged towns without free public libraries to start their own collections with state assistance. Set up in a building on the common that contained the town hall, school, and court house, it was open one day a week.
A year later, the town and school libraries merged in the Town Building. In addition, a room was prepared in the Page office building which also may have housed the post office. Newspapers from across the state were available and the reading room was open all day (how many days is not clear.). There was much enthusiasm, and, since both sexes used the room, rules were made that included no smoking or noisy conversation.
Loomis H. Lanpher, a wealthy Elmore farmer, willed $5,000 to build the Lanpher Memorial Library in 1913, but it wasn't completed until 1916. Lanpher, born in nearby Lowell and raised in Hyde Park, had wanted to do something for the town, but his wishes were delayed when family members contested his will. After they withdrew their suit, a two-year dispute arose over the location for the new building--one group of townspeople wanted it on the school grounds, another in the village center.
In 1915, after proponents of the latter choice won, Russell C. Page purchased the lot to secure it for the library; later, private subscribers reimbursed him. McLean of Boston was architect and the building firm was Bergeron Brothers of Burlington. The library was completed in October 1916 and by April 1917, Mary Buckham, the first librarian in the new building, was ready to greet the public.
The Classical Revival/Chicago style of architecture, a rarity in Vermont, was considered very up-to-date at the time it was built. Set back from Main Street where VT Routes 15 and 100 meet, the outside has two distinctive features: a checkered brick pattern and an array of starburst windows.
The townspeople must have been proud of the library's neat lines, the slate hip roof, and corner pilasters. Inside features include large columns, rich dark woodwork, pocket doors that slide into the wall and separate the front and back rooms, and the rows of starburst windows that provide more light than expected.
As the town grew, the library’s collection grew as well, filling the existing 1056 square foot structure to bursting. An expansion was necessary to meet the needs of the town. Fundraising began in 1997 and the Cushman Design Group designed a two-story addition. Conklin Construction began work in June 2002, and the completed addition was opened to the public in 2005. The addition added 5004 square feet, more than quintupling the size of the library, providing room for more materials, additional computer workstations, and a meeting room on the second floor. The elevator ensures access to all members of the public.
In 2016 the Lanpher Memorial Library celebrated our 100th Anniversary with a ribbon cutting for the work done to make the Church Street entrance of the Library more accessible, with a fully compliant parking space and automatic door into the building.
Two annual awards were dedicated, The Lanpher Memorial Library Spirit of Community Award, recognizing and appreciating someone who has made an important contribution to the Lanpher Library; The Marrion Hood Legacy Award, given in memory of someone who made a lasting impact on the Lanpher Library.