James, a Branford native, had been a farmer and a captain in the Connecticut Militia, as well as an honored community leader.

[5] Work on the Blackstone Library began in 1893 under the direction of Solon Spencer Beman, a Chicago architect.

They feature two lion's paws resting on mother earth and at the top is a small ram's head.

At the top of the rotunda is the dome, embellished with large paintings that illustrate the history of book making.

The authors are: Harriet Beecher Stowe; James Russell Lowell; Oliver Wendell Holmes; John Greenleaf Whittier; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow; Nathaniel Hawthorne; Ralph Waldo Emerson; William Cullen Bryant.

[4] As of 2011, the library houses approximately 80,000 volumes (circulating over twice that many annually), and provides access to thousands of eBooks and audiobooks.

It offers many programs and events to the public, including lectures, movies, plays and musical recitals.

Although the library receives funds from the town of Branford, it is a private entity governed by a board of trustees.