This is part of our year-long look at the history, impact, and future of Old Town Library as we get ready to celebrate its 50th anniversary in October.
As early as the 1870s, residents of Fort Collins were taking extraordinary steps to establish the first reading room in town, a public location where citizens could gather to read books and newspapers and to discuss community issues. Opinion pieces and letters to the editor of the Fort Collins Courier routinely espoused the need for a public reading space and a collection of daily reading materials.
Local resident Simon Sikes’ advocacy for the reading room reflected the sentiment of many others about the public space: “The establishment of [a reading room] in so small a community seems a heavy undertaking, and yet if all those who are personally interested will give it a little time, a little attention, and very little money it will be an easy matter to establish the nucleus of a respectable library … But above all if the ladies will take hold of the matter it can be made a success.” (Fort Collins Courier Jan. 18, 1878)
Well, “the ladies” did just that! In 1882, Fort Collins Library Services began with the establishment of a community reading room in the rear of a Presbyterian church. This was the first notion of a public library service to exist in Fort Collins history and it proved to be extremely popular.
The Reading Room later occupied other spaces throughout the community including the Old City Hall at 238 Walnut St. and a building on the “Welch Block” on northwest corner of College and Mountain Ave.
The First Library
Move forward to July 1, 1904, and the opening of the first permanent public library location at the “Carnegie Building” located at 200 Mathews St. in Lincoln Park (now Library Park).
Again, “the ladies” made it happen! Beginning in 1902, a group of women from the Fort Collins Columbian Club began corresponding with philanthropist Andrew Carnegie stressing the need for a permanent library building and asking him to donate money. He ultimately gave $12,500 in grant money for construction.
The cornerstone for this new public library building was laid on November 14, 1903, and construction of the sandstone Carnegie Library ended less than eight months later. It was called “Public Library and Free Reading Room.”
Elfredda Stebbins was the very first librarian to grace the reference desk at Carnegie library and managed the library for nearly 30 years. The public library proved to be a popular addition to the town, issuing nearly 1,000 new library cards and welcoming more than 17,000 people into the public reading area of the library in 1906 alone. The library opened with 2,770 books on hand.
A Growing Need
But with popularity came challenges, especially in terms of library space. An addition to the east side of the library was completed in 1939 with the aid of a Works Progress Administration (WPA) grant, funding from the city, and the support of the newly-created Fort Collins Friends of the Library organization.
The new space doubled the space available and included construction of a community room with a stage, three new reading rooms, a kitchen, and a children’s area. This established the library as a public forum and community gathering place. These continue to be important roles of the Library today.
Sources: Fort Collins History Connection, Colorado Historical Newspapers Collection (CHNC).
