Patch Picks: 5 Things about the Easton Public Library

In celebration of National Library Week, April 10 to 16, we present some interesting facts about the Easton Public Library, which is celebrating it's 200th anniversary this year...

The modern Easton Public Library is the direct descendent of the Easton Library Company, formed in 1811 when 100 shares of stock were sold to the public. Upkeep was originally financed by yearly subscription fees, and only subscribers could borrow books. The original library building, still standing at the North Second and Church streets, was completed in about 1815. In the mid-19th century, borrowing privileges were extended to students of Easton High School (now known as the Governor Wolf Building), across the street, and in 1895, the Easton School Board formed the Library Association with the plan to create a library open to all city citizens.

The Library is still mainly funded through the local school district. Of its $1.7 million annual budget, about $1 million comes from the district. The remainder comes from state, federal and private contributions.  The Easton Public Library serves a population of 60,000 people, 30,000 of who have a library card. All three branches combined see about 320,000 visits from the public in a year. Fifty people are employed by the library--20 are full-time employees, and 30 are part-timers.

The present main Library building was built in 1903, with funding from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, replacing the original library building. Additions to the current main library  were added in 1911 with a second Carnegie grant on the north side of the building, in 1941 in the form of a loft, and again in 1968 on the eastern side. The Palmer Branch of the Library was completed in 1986, and Southside residents have a small branch in the Shull building. All told, the three branches house a collection of about 219,000 volumes.

The land the main branch occupies was originally on a cemetery. Prior to the building's construction, all the graves were moved to Easton Cemetery on North 7th Street, save for those of two prominent citizens--Mamie Morgan and William Parsons. Both graves still remain on the library grounds.

The Henry Marx room at the Library is named for Henry Forster Marx, who was the library's director from 1902, the year before the current Carnegie library was built, to 1936. It houses more than 15,000 items relating to local history, as well as more than 650 volumes from the original Easton library company dating from its inception in 1811 to 1825. Perhaps most famously, it is the home of the original Easton flag, reputed to have been unfurled during the reading of the Declaration of Independence in Easton on July 8, 1776.