History of the Granville Public Library
Even before the original settlers of our village left their homes in Granville, Massachusetts, they had made plans for the establishment of a library in Ohio. The books for that library were purchased in the East and transported on horseback by Samuel Everitt, Jr. Less than a week after their arrival here, in November, 1805,they appointed officers for the library association and the first librarian, Hiram Rose. In January, 1807, a charter was granted to the association by the government of Ohio; called the Alexandrian Society (in memory of the great library of Alexandria, Egypt), the charter also provided for the operation of a bank, which was located in the yellow stone building which at present houses the Granville Historical Society's museum.
After this initial flurry of activity, readers in Granville had to rely on literary societies, schools, or private circulating libraries for their printed material. More than a century passed before a major effort was made to establish a public library in Granville. In 1912 the Charter of the Granville Public Library was issued by the Secretary of State of Ohio. Initially this library was located in the discarded building of the Baptist Church; however, in 1923, Mrs. Charles B. White took leadership of a campaign to raise $100,000 to build and maintain a new library building. Feeling that the site of her parents' home would make an ideal location, she donated the site and moved the residence to the back of the lot, where it stands today. Frank Packard, the architect for the Granville Inn, designed the library to complement the Inn; the stone for the library was donated by Miss Virginia Thorn from her own quarry.
Severe space constraints made necessary an addition, which was designed by Baker and Associates and completed in 1970. Other improvements to the building included the creation of a public meeting area under the old building and installation of an elevator to make the building more accessible. In 1989 a major renovation took place under the direction of architect Julius Blum; it created about 2,000 square feet of active library space in the lower level, which now houses video and audio collections, as well as mysteries and the genealogy department.
Visitors to the library often ask about the statue located at what was formerly the main entrance. Created by Diane Powell, it shows two children and a little dog enjoying a book together; the dog is a Welsh Corgi, a breed which recalls Granville's Welsh heritage (a photo of the statue is up at the top of this and every page on this site). The statue was made possible by funds contributed by the Ohio Arts Council, the Granville Public Library Board, and Committee 75, a group of local donors headed by Cal Prine and Richard Mann.
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