Gordon-Nash Library

The Gordon-Nash Library is significant under Criteria A in the area of education as the first public library building erected in Belknap County. Built in 1895 and opened to the public in 1896, the Gordon-Nash Library marked an important step in the development of the county's public library system, the movement of these still-young institutions from makeshift and often inappropriate quarters to buildings specifically designed and built for use by libraries. Most of the county's public libraries have since acquired their own buildings, usually, as in the case of the Gordon-Nash Library, through the generous gift or bequest of a public-spirited individual. The Gordon-Nash Library is also significant under Criteria C in the area of architecture as an attractive library building notable for its fine Renaissance style ornament and its pleasing design, the first public library building in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire to follow the Classical tradition in its design and to use a symmetrical main block with an entry pavilion.

The Gordon-Nash Library was preceded by several public libraries in Belknap County, beginning with Laconia's municipal library, which opened in 1879. By 1895, six of the county's eleven municipalities were served by public libraries. But, none of these communities had their own public library building, as the municipalities did not have sufficient means to erect buildings for library purposes. The county's earliest public libraries were all housed in makeshift quarters, in rooms not designed for library use. As the first public library building built in the county, the GordonNash Library was an important example, demonstrating the value of an appropriate library building. And that example was followed by the majority of the county's public libraries. Eight library buildings were erected between 1900 and 1928 in six of the county's towns and in its one city. With one exception, these buildings were erected with private funds, usually the donation or bequest of a generous individual, not with public funds raised by taxation. The movement from inadequate quarters to proper library buildings, which began with the construction of the Gordon-Nash Library, was a significant advance in the evolution of the county's public library system. For it was only through inappropriate homes that public libraries could reach their full potential as educational institutions serving the citizens of their communities.

In the larger Lakes Region of New Hampshire, four public library buildings were built before the Gordon-Nash Library, beginning with the Minot-sleeper Library in Bristol, built in 1884. Architecturally, these four buildings all belong to the Victorian era, showing the eclectic style and the asymmetry of form and facade of that period. None showed the influence of the classical styles, which were beginning to regain their former popularity in the 1890s. The Gordon-Nash Library, with its Renaissance-style ornament, was the first public library in the region to use a classical style, as well as the first to use a symmetrical form with a central entry pavilion. In both of these aspects of its design, the building proved to be the architectural model for later libraries in the region. Of the sixteen public libraries built in the region between the construction of the Gordon-Nash Library and World War II, twelve buildings followed the Classical styles (including the related Colonial Revival style) and six buildings used a symmetrical main block with a central entry pavilion, with another five buildings using a symmetrical main block with central entry porch or portico. So, in style and form, the Gordon-Nash Library marked a significant turning point in the architectural evolution of the libraries of the Lakes Region.

The historic context for the Gordon-Nash Library under Criteria A in the area of education is Public Library Development in Belknap County, 1878-1938. Before the establishment of public libraries, some of the county's citizens were served by private libraries, usually, subscription libraries open only to their members. Such a subscription library, the Ney Hampton Social Library, was established in 1813 by eight New Hampton men. This small private library was once housed in the home of John Nash and was probably familiar to his son, Stephen Gordon Nash (1822-1894), who would later establish the Gordon-Nash Library. But, this private library, like many other subscription libraries, eventually declined and "probably ceased to function after 1830". The New Hampton Literary Institution, now the New Hampton School in the village, could also boast three private student libraries, owned and maintained by the school's three literary societies, the Literary Adelphi, the Social Fraternity, and the Germanae Delictae Scientiae. But, the private libraries, adult or student, were generally open only to the members of their associations and did not serve the public at large. In 1833, the free public library movement began in New Hampshire, with the establishment of the Peterborough Town Library, now the oldest municipal public library in the country. It was, however, some forty-five years before a Belknap County community followed Peterborough's lead. The 1878 Laconia town meeting voted to establish a public library, which opened in 1879. The Laconia library was followed by another town library in Meredith in 1882. The citizens of Tilton acquired the use of a public library in 1887 when the Hall Memorial Library opened in the neighboring Merrimack County town of Northfield to serve both municipalities. In 1891, the state legislature offered a $100 grant to any community that would establish a free public library and appropriates a certain sum every year for its support. This offer was accepted by the towns of Alton, Barnstead, and Gilmanton in 1892, and by Belmont and Gilford in 1893. In 1895, the state legislature mandated annual library appropriations, even in those towns where no public library had been established. This requirement eventually prodded Sanbornton and Centre Harbor to establish public libraries in 1903 and 1910, respectively. So, by the early 20th century, every citizen in the county had access to a public library. (Two towns actually had more than one library. Gilmanton eventually had three public libraries, in the villages of Gilmanton Iron Works, Gilmanton Corner, and Lower Gilmanton. And a branch library of the Laconia Public Library was established in the Lakeport section of the city.) These early public libraries were not very well housed, as the municipalities, although willing to purchase books and pay a librarian, did not have the funds to erect library buildings. The quarters of the libraries were therefore usually makeshifts- the librarian's home, as in Gilford, a room in the town hall, as in Alton, a rented room in a commercial block, as in Belmont and Laconia. The first public library to obtain its own library building was the Gordon-Nash Library, whose origin was actually quite different from the county's other libraries.

Stephen Gordon Nash, the donor of the library, was born and raised in New Hampton and educated at the local academy (now the New Hampton School) and at Dartmouth College. After a brief teaching career, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in Boston, where he prospered and served as both a judge and state legislator. Both of his children died in infancy, and he conceived, in his later years, the plan of leaving most of his estate to establish a public library in New Hampton. He chose, however, not to give the money to the town government, but to establish a private corporation to build and maintain the library. On July 20, 1887, the state legislature approved an act incorporating the Gordon-Nash Library, named for the Judge's parents, listing Judge Nash, his wife, and three friends as the incorporators, and authorizing the o corporation to establish and maintain a public library in New Hampton. The organizational meeting of the corporation was held in September, but the library corporation remained a paper institution until after the Judge's death10 In October of 1888, the Judge did purchase the future site of the library, two lots on the village's main street. (This prominent site became available after an August 1887 fire destroyed three buildings in the center of the village. ) After the Judge's death on May 1, 1894, his will was found to contain a number of separate bequests for the library, including $10,000 for"the erection of a Library Building, fireproof with ventilated walls and of agreeable architecture", as well as the residue of his estate, reserving, however, a life estate for his wife. The corporation records say little about the actual construction of the building, noting only that, at the annual meeting in October of 1894, two of the incorporators were "made a special committee to make a contract for the erection of a library building". By then, however, work had already begun on the project, as the Bristol newspaper had reported in August that a "survey of the library lot has been taken in order that the architect may prepare a plan of the foundation ... for the new library building". The architect engaged by the corporation was James E. Fuller of the Worcester, Mass. architectural firm of Fuller & Delano. Little is known about the design process, beyond Mrs. Nash's request that the building is faced with an old gold brick, rather than the common red brick. In March of 1895, it could be reported that the building contract had been awarded to Gardner Cook & Son of Laconia and that bricks and lumber were being delivered to the site. By early May, work had begun on the foundations. In early July, the Bristol paper noted that "The masons are through and the building is ready for the carpenters." By the end of the month, the roof was on and the "copper trimmings", presumably the cornice, were being installed. In early August. carvers from Boston were reported at work at the library. In September, the carpenters were described as "finishing the interior". And by the end of November, the building was reported as "nearly completed". Although the building was apparently finished in 1895, it was not opened to the public for some months. None of the original incorporators lived in New Hampton, so, at the annual corporation meeting in October 1895, a dozen New Hampton citizens were elected to the corporation, and control of the library thus turned over to the town's residents. Late November saw the arrival of five tons of books, half of Judge Nash's personal library, which had been included in the bequest. A librarian was appointed in February, The spring saw the cataloging of the books, including the books of the New Hampton Literary Institution's literary societies, which were transferred to the new library. Finally, on June 25, 1896, the building was dedicated, in coordination with the 75th-anniversary celebration of the New Hampton Literary Institution, and opened to the public.

(The Gordon-Nash Library differed in its administration from the other public libraries in the county. Those other public libraries are municipal departments, owned by the municipality and run by elected or appointed public officials. Although the Town of New Hampton, at its annual meeting in March 1896, did vote to "accept the bequest of Stephen G. Nash", the town government has, in fact, never operated the GordonNash Library, nor contributed to the costs of its operation. It has remained, among the county's libraries, an independent private institution. The library did, however, provide space for the town offices until 1984, when a separate town office building was erected.)

The original building of the Gordon-Nash Library is rather well preserved, particularly on the exterior. The only changes to the three public facades have been largely limited to the main entry. The outer arch of the vestibule, originally open, was filled in by a door with sidelights and a transom window, apparently sometime in the mid-20th century. And handrails were installed on the front steps in the 1960s. An eastern basement door was replaced by a window in 1977. Inconspicuous storm windows were installed in 1980. Save for these minor changes, the building appears today from the public highway as it did in 1896. By contrast, the rear facade of the original building has been almost entirely covered over by two additions, a large addition covering the westerly three-quarters of the rear facade, and a smaller addition covering the easterly quarter. The western addition was built in 1961-62 by builder Douglas E. Page of Claremont, according to the plans of architect Horace Bradt of Exeter. The small eastern addition was designed by New Hampton architect Frank Marinace and erected by contractor Donald Snyder & Sons, Inc. of Concord in 1977. The two-story, concrete block additions, covered with brick veneer, are modern in style but are not incompatible with the original building. Their main virtue is their modesty, as they have relatively plain facades that do not compete with the original building, and they hide behind the older building, which effectively screens them from the public street. The original building, although now only half of the present structure, remains the predominant feature of the library building.

The interiors of the original building have seen more changes, as they have been adapted to the library's changing needs and to the two rear additions. The first six decades of the 20th century apparently saw few changes, electric lights in 1900, storage shelves and a disappearing stairway for the attic in 1940, linoleum floors in the basement rooms in 1948, ceiling tiles in the main level rooms in 1951, and a partition between the lower stairhall and lower hall in 1954. However, by the late 1950s, the need for more space was becoming obvious. In 1958, a planning committee was formed, and in 1959, architect Bradt was hired to plan addition and renovations of the original building. In 1960 and 1961, the preliminary plans were reviewed by Emil Allen of the New Hampshire State Library and revised in accordance with his suggestions. Work began in July 1961 and was completed in May 1962. In all of the main level rooms, new fluorescent light fixtures, and new bookcases, and furniture were installed, and the stained glass transom windows were hidden behind panels. The old reading room, now converted to the children's room, saw no other changes. But, the old reference room and the old stack room did see some significant changes. The old reference room was subdivided, part being used for an office, partly incorporated into a workroom that extended into the new addition. The fireplace in the old reference room's east wall was removed.

The wall between the entry hall and the old stack room originally contained the circulation desk and a doorway. When the old stack room became the new reference room and the circulation desk was shifted to the south side of the entry hall, most of the wall between the two rooms was removed to allow for easy circulation and supervision. A window was cut into the wall between the new office and the new reference room. The small alcove at the southeast corner of the new reference room became a corridor into the rear addition, losing its south wall. The south wall of the new reference room lost two windows but gained a door into the magazine storage closet in the addition. The basement also saw a few changes. An alcove in the selectmen's room was walled off to create a fireproof closet. Part of the furnace room was used for a new restroom and for a basement corridor to the rear addition. Later changes to the original building have been few. Wall-to-wall carpeting was installed in 1967-68. The eastern addition, designed in 1976 by architect Marinace and built in 1977, added more space and did alter the easterly spaces of the original building. The original reading room, now the children's room, lost a window in the south wall, as a large opening was cut into the wall to provide access to the new addition. The south wall of the selectmen's room in the basement lost two windows but gained a door into the new lower entry hall. The former outside entry to the selectmen's room, a door in the east wall, was replaced by a window. Despite these changes, the rooms of the original building still retain most of their original architectural and historical elements." (The only other significant change has been the addition of a prefabricated storage shed, installed behind the library in 1986.)

By 1895, the vast majority of New Hampshire towns had established public libraries. But, few of these municipal libraries were housed in proper library buildings. In March of 1895, when the materials for the Gordon-Nash Library were being delivered to the site, there were only twenty-seven municipal public libraries with buildings specifically designed for library use. Most small town libraries and even some larger municipal libraries, such as the city libraries in Nashua, Keene, and Laconia, were still housed in makeshift quarters, in houses, town halls, commercial blocks, stores, and other adapted rooms and structures. This was certainly the case in Belknap County, where no public library had yet moved to an adequate separate building. The Gordon-Nash Library was the first library in the county to acquire its own building, but not the last. Public library buildings were subsequently built in Meredith (1900-01), Laconia (1901-03), Lakeport (1905-06), Centre Harbor (1909-10), Barnstead (1916-17), Gilmanton Iron Works (1916-17), Gilford (1924-25), and Belmont (1927-28). So, by the late 1920s, eight of the county's eleven municipalities had appropriate library buildings, with the City of Laconia having two buildings. The Alton town library was still housed in the Town Hall, although the Town had already received the bequest that would be used in 1951 to erect a library building. The Sanbornton and Gilmanton Corner libraries were housed in separate buildings and converted for other uses. And only the Lower Gilmanton library still remained in a private house. (The Town of Gilford did pay for its own library building, and the Gilmanton Iron Works library was funded by a public fundraising campaign. But, most of these library buildings, like the Gordon-Nash Library, were built with the bequest or gift of generous individuals.) The Gordon-Nash Library, therefore, marked the beginning of an important change in the county's public library system, the movement to separate, specially built library buildings. This movement must be considered the most important advance in the evolution of Belknap County's libraries, since their establishment. And, no doubt, the pioneering example of the Gordon-Nash Library served as an inspiration to the other towns in the county as a clear demonstration of the value of an appropriate library building.