Cotton Free Library
Quaker Village Rd., near Jct. of Baker Ct. and Quaker Village Rd., Weybridge, VTThe Cotton Free Library possesses significance for embodying the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, and method of construction. It qualifies for statewide and local significance under criteria A for its significance in education - and under criteria C for its architectural significance. It is a well-preserved example of a small-town Colonial Revival library, similar to others constructed at the turn of the century. The outstanding architectural features of the building include a monumental portico with a circular window in the tympanum, paired Tuscan columns, and double entrance doors with muntins in a modified Union Jack motif and many historic interior details such as pressed metal walls, comice, and ceiling, glazed fireplace tiles and wood detailing. It exemplifies the recommendations of the National Free Library Association, which gave local communities guidance and funding from the State of Vermont for their operations. The Cotton Free Library continues to serve as a memorial to one of the early citizens, Joshua Franklin Cotton, who funded the town library. Since its origins, the Library has served as an active part of the life of Weybridge, serving as a tool to teach many children to read. Along with the Weybridge town hall, it forms the historic heart of the village.
Local significance of the building:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.