OCPL Home > About OCPL > OCPL Timeline > 1800s
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1800-1849 | 1850-1879 | 1880-1899
1820: Bookcase for the public available in
the Salina town hall (now the First Ward Syracuse near Park St.)
- Post-Standard, June 2, 1935
Newspaper clipping - Image 1
1830’s: Cabinet style bookcase with volumes
to loan accessible in the vestry of
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
- Post-Standard, Sept. 6, 1930
Newspaper Advertisement
Newspaper Article
1849: Rev. Samuel May and others form the
“Franklin Institute” and shortly have a reading
room and 2,000 volumes available for members in the Malcolm Block along
Salina St.
- 1940 Syracuse Public Library Annual Report
Franklin Institute Related Image 1
Franklin Institute Related Image 2
1852: “Central Library” proposed April 5 to
be open to the general public as alternative to
library “clubs”, school libraries, Franklin Institute, etc.
- Herald, April 5, 1932
1855: Syracuse Common Council ordered a bookcase
March 25 and set May 1 as opening date for library room in
City Hall
- Post-Standard, March 26, 1940
City Hall, Market Hall postcard image 1
1857: Different
school library collections consolidated in one room at City Hall under the direction of the
Superintendent of Schools, George Farnham
- 1923 Library Scrapbook
1858: First Central
Library, John Strachan librarian, $300/yr.
- Herald, July 20, 1930
1863: Patrick McCarthy
named librarian, expands collection with many quality books
- 1895 Annual Report
1869: Library moves to
new high school on West Genesee Street located near present-day Fire Station 12
- Post-Standard,
Sept. 6, 1930
1871: William McCarthy
becomes librarian upon death of his father
- 1895 Annual Report
1872: John S. Clark
named librarian
- 1895 Annual Report
1876: Mrs. Mary A.
Gambia named librarian and serves through March 1879
- A History of the Schools of Syracuse by Edward
Smith (1893)
An excerpt from "A History of the Schools of Syracuse"
1880: Ezekiel Mundy
named head librarian
- Post-Standard, Sept. 6, 1930
Information and Photo of Ezekiel Mundy
1880: 13,344 books in
collection; 130 daily circulation
- Post-Standard, Sept. 6, 1930
1890: 21,541 books in
collection; 145 daily circulation
- Post-Standard, Sept. 6, 1930
1893: Library
receives charter with the corporate name of “Syracuse Central Library” from the
New York State Regents, Common Council transfers books and funds from the old
library along with former Putnam School building at Montgomery and Jefferson
Sts. to the new entity
- Herald, July 20, 1930 p.3; 1923 Library Scrapbook
1894: Library moves to
former Putnam School at the corner of Montgomery and Jefferson Sts.
- Herald, July 20, 1930
1894: City population
92,839; circulation 50,652; appropriation $4,948
- 1923 Library Scrapbook
1897: Syracuse
Central Library recognized in the field of genealogy as “the only satisfactory
library for that purpose outside of New York and Albany”
- Rochester
Post-Express, May 12, 1897
Newspaper Clipping - Image 1
1898: Two story, two
room annex added to existing library
- 1898 Annual Report
1898: West End library
“station”, the first of its kind in Syracuse, opens in Dr. Shoudy’s office at 1706 W. Genesee St. in March
- 1898 Annual Report
1898: Open shelf
policy implemented in December allowing patrons to browse circulating collection
- 1898 Annual Report
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Last updated February 5, 2010