History
History of the New Marlborough Town Library
The original New Marlborough Free Library was constructed in 1920. Native son Marcus Rogers, who was well into his 80′s, was responsible for erecting the colonial style building, soliciting and receiving funds from steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie as well as leaving an endowment for its maintenance himself. Mr. Rogers is remembered in the newspaper world for having originated the ‘country correspondent,’ who reported the minutiae of village life.
Due to a prank gone wrong, the original building was burned down in 1996. What once was an historic 76 year-old Carnegie library was now reduced to a pile of ashes. Although the old building was rich in history, it lacked the space and efficiency that was becoming essential in providing library services. Through much cooperation and hard work, the “new” New Marlborough Town Library celebrated its grand opening January 1, 1999. The final result is a one floor, 3542 square foot building, completely automated, ADA compliant and designed to accommodate new and expanding library services.
