Joslin memorial Library

Waitsfield, Vermont

From the book "Where The Books Are"

Written by Patricia W. Belding,

Potash Book Publishing

Histories of Other Libraries In & Around Central Vermont

On memorial Day in 1913, some old soldiers (no doubt Civil War veterans) laid the cornerstone of the Joslin memorial Library, a yellow-brick building located on VT Route 100 in the center of town. The gift of George Alfred Joslin in memory of his grandfather, Joseph Joslin, the Classical Revival building was dedicated five months later on October 30.

The Waitsfield library Association, the town's first, began 50 years earlier in August 1866 when 100 members paid an annual fee of $3 each to support the library. W.A. Jones earned $18 a year as librarian and kept the collection in his store until 1883, the year the group disbanded.

No library activity was reported for 13 years, but in 1896 the Waitsfield Town library was established under the law of 1894. It is believed that the core collection came from the defunct association, for the town library started out with 275 volumes, $100-worth of these coming from the state. This library was kept in the Eaton block, then in Lucius and Bertha Savage's residence for a period of 17 years.

The growing collection needed a permanent home and Joslin, a Waitsfield native who had become wealthy in the newspaper business in Omaha, Nebraska, made this possible. John MacDonald of Omaha was architect, F.A. Walker of Montpelier was supervisory architect, and the H.P. Cummings Construction Company of Ware, Massachusetts built the $21,000 library.

Joslin was unable to attend the dedication, but wrote a speech for the occasion which included the following poignant passage: "I have been for a long time in business servitude...but someday soon I expect to be free and then I shall come back here often to revisit the scenes of my boyhood, to breathe the tonic mountain air...."68 The 300 people at the dedication must have been as impressed with the building as visitors are today.

Two imposing Indiana Bedford limestone columns flank the wide stairway and dominate the front. Starburst windows over the large door and a slate hip roof decorated with dentils complete the outside. The entry has polished marble walls and the vestibule has a tiled floor. The fine woodwork of the paneling and the circulation desk, and handsome original light fixtures are other features.

Another attraction is the stained-glass skylight which cost 50 cents per foot and which the architect called an art-glass panel. During a recent cleaning when the skylight was electrified, the replacement value was set at $15,000.

When the building opened, the town clerk's office and a hall for town meetings shared the basement; today, municipal offices use all of this space. The post office rented the right front room until 1966 and during the first year, the postmaster was the day-librarian as well as the janitor. When this space was remodeled into a delightful children's room in 1975-76, all the labor and materials were donated, as were many volunteer hours. Volunteers still play a major role in keeping the library open six days per week.