1875
Russell Library is Dedicated
On this day, Russell Library was dedicated. The building located at the corner of Broad and Court Streets was originally Christ Church and the first classes of Middletown High School, the first permanent high school in Connecticut, were held in its basement in 1840. After the Episcopalian congregation built its new church, Church of the Holy Trinity, on Main Street, the building was purchased by Frances Russell and transformed into a library in memory of her husband Samuel Russell, the China trader and founder of Russell Manufacturing Company.
Although the building was dedicated and opened as a hall in November 1875, the library collection was not open to the public until the following April.
As the town grew, so did Russell Library, which now hosts almost 1000 patrons a day. In addition to lending books, the library has kept up with the times, allowing patrons to borrow movies and DVD’s, use computers free of charge, attend workshops, classes, and lectures, and enjoy plays and musical performances.
Story contributed by Deborah Shapiro.
1882
Flyer for the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic), Mansfield Guard Post, Fair in 1882. The G.A.R. was the organization for Union veterans of the Civil War, and was a political force until the early 1900s.