Greenwich Library

[2] Originally established in 1800 with a collection of books housed in the Ebenezer Mead House, what was then known as the Greenwich Town Library and Greenwich Reading Room and Library Association began under an official subscription system of $6 shares beginning in 1805.

[3] Under this system, permitted members could borrow the same amount of books as the number of shares they owned.

Non-members were not permitted access to the library’s collection until 1878, although even then, borrowing books off-site remained exclusive to members.

[10][11] However, a second campaign, which included the purchase and redevelopment of the Franklin Simon & Co. department store and a donation of $100,000 from the town, succeeded, and the library was moved to its new space on West Putnam Avenue in March 1960.

Further expansions over the next 50 years include the Marie Cole auditorium, which would provide a second-floor extension of the library and house non-fiction materials; the addition of a reading area and nine study rooms; the Flinn Gallery for showcasing educational art exhibitions; and the expansions of the main reading room, office spaces, and a café.