The DeFazio Flanagan Team Denise Flanagan Cell: 973.420.4590 dflan2015@gmail.com
Margaret DeFazio Cell: 201.738.7636 medefazio@gmail.com
No. 18 Vol. 4
My Life Publications • 1-800-691-7549
April 2022
211 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960 • 973.285.4677 www.defazioflanaganteam.com
A Brief History on and Reflection of the Mendham Borough Library
I
By Steve Sears t sits across from the former property of supposed inventor of baseball, Abnder Doubleday, who lived in the area from 1873 until 1893. Two tiny brick buildings, the first of the two built in in 1931 and completed in 1932. That first Free Mendham Public Library building at one time housed the entire library. It legally became Mendham Borough Library in 2000. Jen Perrier is Library Director. “The front room is gorgeous,” she says. “It’s just lovely wood, and the fireplace. We’re walkable, but we’re limited to what we can do because were small. But the population is 5,000, we know everyone that comes in, and it’s very friendly. It’s unique here. I love Mendham.” The year of 1797 jumps out at you. It’s fascinating
to know that a library in the area had books that could be borrowed. It was originally known as the Mendham Library Company from 1797 until the late 1800’s, and in 1911, the Mendham Library Association was formed. In January 1912, the original room of Saint Mark’s Parish House was its home with about 1,000 books from private donations. The Mendham Free Library was incorporated in 1927, and a few years later, courtesy of Mrs. Louise M. Demarest, who had left funds in her will for the construction and maintenance of a new facility in memory of her daughter, Sarah Forsyth Demarest, the library in June of 1932 moved into its new building and current home at 10 Hilltop Road. A plaque on the front of the building reads in loving dedication,
“Demarest Memorial Free Public Library.” A fire occurred in December, 1973 and the resulting ramification was many months of repair and rebuilding, which turned the library building into a new facility. In 1976, former Mayor Andrew Fletcher (1961 – 1964), a library Board member since 1954 and serving as its president from 1960 to 1973, gifted the library $75,000 to construct a 1,600 sq. ft. addition to the back of the older building, with another $75,000 upon completion for its maintenance. Fletcher also donated his collection of awards and honorary degrees, engineering books, and local memorabilia to be housed in the Andrew Fletcher wing. With its 1978 dedication, the size of the library was doubled. “We depend on the sup-
AUTHENTIC ITALIAN NEAPOLITAN-STYLE RISTORANTE
Located next to MPAC
"La Cucina Napolitana" 90 South Street, Morristown 973-276-5050
Mendham Borough Library. Photos courtesy of the Mendham Borough Library.
port of our patrons,” Perrier says. “They love the library.” Mendham Borough Library is located at 10 Hilltop Road. Visit www.mendhamboroughlibrary.org for more information.
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