PATTEN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION OF BATH STARTED IN 1847 Sprague's Journal of Maine History Volume 9 April, May, June, 1921 page 71-72 The Patten Library Association in Bath was started by George F. and John Patten with 132 citizens, who, on October 9, 1847, signed a paper of agreement to become subscribers to a stock joint library and organized in the office of Israel Putnam,Bath's "war mayor," the doctor presiding, and the late E. S. J. Nealley, collector of customs for this port for many years, acting as secretary. The meeting in Dr. Putnam's office was November 8, 1847. Mr. Nealley continued as secretary until 1876 when he was followed by C. B. Lemont until his removal to Boston, when James S. Lowell became the secretary and has held the office since. George F. Patten was elected first president, holding the office until 1857. Caleb S. Jenks presided up to 1862; Amos Nourse, a leading physician of Bath and for a term U. S. senator from Lincoln County, to 1865; Rev. S. F. Dike, D. D., to 1870; Israel Putnam to 1876; E. S. J. Nealley to 1882; John Patten to 1887; Galen C. Morse until his death; Hon. Harold M. Sewall became presi- dent and is still the executive lead. August 6, 1852, George F. and John Patten purchased at auction sale for $300 the King library, all the books, cases, maps, globes that had been collected and used by Maine's first governor, Wil- liam King, and presented the property to the Library association on condition that " the same revert to the donors in event the association should ever be dissolved and also on condition that a suitable room be obtained for the whole library." It was May 6, 1878, that John Patten, one of Bath's grand old citizens executed a deed of trust to the association, giving to it a house and lot on Center street and providing that whenever the city established a public library and appropriated not less than $300 yearly for its maintenance, the property should be trans- ferred to the city. The following week the trust was accepted and the books were transferred from the hall in the top story of the building in which the Johnson bakery is located on Front street in January, 1880, to the Center street building where the library had its home until the present structure on the park was pre- sented by Galen C. Moses in 1887. This gift of Mr. Moses was on condition that a site be provided, he agreeing to pay $10,000 for the construction of a suitable build- ing thereon. Time went on and the city government took no action toward providing a site, nor did it ever thank the generous donor for his gift. Finally, when it seemed that the offer would lapse, ladies and gentlemen came to the Bath Independent and requested that it would aid in obtaining, by one of it popular subscription efforts, money for the site. Even then, nothing was done for several months when those interested returned and again begged the Independent to act, saying that unless it did, "no one else would and that the offer of Mr. Moses would lapse." The Independent acted and a subscription movement was started like one of the recent war drives; the Torrey mansion of the present site of the library was purchased; then the Snow building on the extreme point of the park was bought with its land adjoining the Torrey grounds, thus making a complete square of the park; George Edward Harding, for his part of the enterprise, had his firm of architects in New York city provide the plans of the building, which he presented the association. Roughly estimated, the total cost of the purchase of the properties on that corner of the park and the grading amounted to $8500. Then Mr. Moses made good his offer and laid out more than $10,000 in the con- struction of the library structure. December 29, 1890, he trans- ferred the property to the city and January 1, 1891, the library was opened to the citizens of Bath, free for all time. --The above is a clipping from a newspaper. If any of the statements are inaccurate, or important facts have been omitted, will the Patten Library kindly furnish them to the Journal? (Editor.) (c) 1998 Courtesy of the Androscoggin Historical Society ************************************************* * * * * NOTICE: Printing the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. * * * * The USGenWeb Project makes no claims or estimates of the validity of the information submitted and reminds you that each new piece of information must be researched and proved or disproved by weight of evidence. It is always best to consult the original material for verification.