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Untitled (7)NEDIS ei TILE EVENING Mon., May 22, 1967 2A Grinnell. Library Marks 100th Anniversary By NATHAN DYKENIAN Four years before Wappingers Falls became an incorporated village, two of the Falls area's civic -minded men organized the Grinnell Library Association. The first "circulating library" set up by this association was opened May 25, 1867, just 100 years ago this coming Thurs- day. This "circulating library" was in a second floor room of a house near the corner of East Alain and Market Streets. The unique building housing the present Grinnell Library was opened in 1888. The civic leaders of Wappin- gers Falls who started Grinnell Library, third oldest continuous library in Dutchess County, were the Rt. Rev. Henry Yates Satterlee, rector of the Zion Episcopal Church, and Irving Grinnell, devoted to Zion Church and numerous worthy causes. On Thursday, to mark the cen- tennial, an open house will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. in the li- brary. Next fall, when furnishings PHILANTHROPIST —' i+'"" Grinnell. 1010 III -Vo fitrst floorla oom anday day- o+l `'ilillionaires Roc. in the Sill"" Road a+''':+ ebratiotl is planned with Frank- of the Town of Poughkeepsie, clelote+1 his life to lin D. Roosevelt Jr., who has a lite Episcopal (:hurch an+l hAs, (-all b +Seell '1+� a+lig home at Poughquag, as the main pingers Falls conununit}• As can h+� speaker. The late Mr. Grinnell attire, he also i+as all avid yachtsman, lie tti"l was a relative of the Roosevelt in 1921, loin• rears after the library bearing his s scar family. name marked its 50th anni�crsar} Clri According to Mrs. Dorothy - __ its; centennial.. Alsdorf, a village historian, the library had humble beginnings. The building where the first reading room was located was on East Alain Street next door to the present Tardiff's Jewelry Store. At one time the residence was occupied by Benjamin Clapp, Mrs. Alsdorf said. Later it was lost in a fire as it seems has been the fate of so many buildings in the East Main -Mar- ket Streets section. Mrs. Alsdorf said the house also was occupied by a Mrs Goelet, one of the Mesier faro iiy. Wappingers Falls' first librar ian, a woman who served it this position nearly 40 years, wa Mrs. Elizabeth Howarth, a wic ow with six children to suppor Mrs. Alsdorf noted that Mn Howarth obtained the job ft several reasons, among the. being the fact that she neeed( it. However, it was not Ove looked that she sthe on person in Wappingers ti time who had any library e perience. Her father had be librarian at a college in D don. Founder Irving Grinnell v one of the family associated many years with the Grin? Steamships firm. At one tir 'according to Mrs. Alsdorf, Gt nen built more steamships ti any other firm in the world. Irving, who lived on Million- aire's Row ... the Sheafe Road area near New Hamburg, mar- ried a Miss Holland, also of a wealthy family. spent The Grinnels apparently a great dealt of their rareafives n to the Wappingersthe 7.inn ntc.� O\E OF' I'llE FOU\DF;RS —The Rt. licv. llenrc Nates Satterlee Ica, a goott fricr+(l of �tealth� lrc- ing Grinnell, ecIsortily ho eontribnte+l to �uan� eausea iu ��appinge+q Falls oN et a longi: ► 'Together the t�+o men founded tile , e Grinnell Lill association, the eventual restilt of 0lich Tori con• struetion of the present library huililin_ ill 18!38. ne 'IV a pplij�;,Z1J 1'aIIJ Cil Ga. 11- ••`� .: ging was devoted to the Zion 'ki'YYnIX ax R. Church and to social piscopal )etterment of Wappingers Falls or many years. As a hobby, Ie spent much time yachtinga Ind boating. Together with the it. Rev. Henry Yates Satterlee re started the reading room or Jrculating library which devel (ped into the Grinnell Library, low located at East Main and ,prings Streets. Rev. Satterlee was not only qr. . Grinnell's rector at Zion 'hurch, but a personal friend. When he first came to Wappin- ;ers as curate to a Father An- lrews, he lived at a cottage on he Grinnell esetate. Rev. Satterlee left Wappingers o go to a church in New York ,ity and some years later be- :ame the first bishop of Wash- Photo 5v ovkeman ngton, D.C. Mrs. Harrison Grantham, aI COCIIAIRD'lEN — The Rev. Robert A. l'IacGill member of the Board of Trus- (left), (left) rector of Zion Episcopal Church, and the Rt. ees o£ the Grinnell Library, Rev. Charles B. Brennan, pastor of 5t. Marys vrites that a reception was Ialiv Church, plan the open house slated Thursday at m by library trustees on May I ?5, 1917 to commemorate the Grinnell Library, Vlappi�iners Falls, to mark the 10th anniversary. An,illuminat-', resident. The Friends have had ?d testimonial was presented at bers of the Mid Hudson Libraryip' that time to Mr. Grinnell. System, which has its headquar (several hake sales and a dinner When he died in 1921, Mr.'ters in Poughkeepsie. .dance to raise funds for the I- Grirneil left monies to the li There were 592 registered bor-',brar They also have created brary which were invested and, rowers in 1924 compared with, a volunteer program to do li- n an indirect way, are being ',5 700 in 1966. 'rhe collection num used partially to finance the tiered 12,021 at the end of las(brary displays, work in the li- present renovation work on the brary and organize story hours. first floor. The first floor of the year. Grinnell became n charter member of Mid Hudson Librar ! Mrs. Joseph H. Fulton is vice building for many vears had res in 195.9• residenC of the i'"rends of Grin- been occupied by offices and Vlin Frances Drace has been�p stores. Starting in the fall, it'Gri iss F librarian for 27 years.,nell; and other officers are Roy Will provide a much needed ad dition. for library facilities. Aiding her are Mrs ..Toseph Me- S. Thompson, treasurer, and According to Mrs. Grantham, Closkev and Mrs. Robert Mac iMla� Theoedore W. Lynch, see v. the libraryo erated on a sub- Dowell p Fielding Browne is presidentj Heading the Centennial Com- by-the basis (fees were paid mittee are the Rev. Rol,,ert A. Ly the borrowers) until 1924, 11' the Board r Trustees Other rMaciill, rector of Zion Episco- when the Towns of Wappingers. Wart olnbaur, vice president; pal Church, and the Rt. Rev. and Poughkeepsie and the Vu uirinus Clroenwegen, treasur Charles B• Brennan, pastor of lane of Wappingers Falls start-, Mrs. Werner Buchholz, see- St Mary's Church, co-chairmen. ed to give support. Since then',Netary; Warren F. Short; An it has been a free library. R. Circulation of books since e Frank- more e'Hunt P VJrly sari; Ree e; Mrm,iin D. RoosevelttJrarwho has than quadrupled Armand Fuimarello; Daniei',taken part in one recent plan- half - way mark. Fifty years meeting,Willis L. NI. ago. the circulation was 14,100;;H a n n i g a n; Harvey Miller; mingJohn l+' Evans, in 1924, it was 18,300, and in James Findley; Russell E. Ald 'Reese, William F. nJ?-, Ralph rich; and Mrs. Grantham. A. Hemingway. 1966 it was 64,900. Jeb V. Johnson, Res Mason, p and Gwen Mrs. Grantham notes that A Friends of Grinnell Li racyW. this 64,900 figure is one of the gr'Ot1 wrths ,Mrs. Fuima ello years! as'.IIamilton Stevens. ns r 6 ,largest circulations among m m-,ago Photo by DYke„- ISTINCTIVE STYLE BUILDING — The Grinnell Library at y yet<►rrd Olde Yst Alain and Spring Street, Wappingers Falls, is unique iu English village residence. This year the 0111 all pearance because it is a combination of Swiss chalet and in Dutchess Coturty, is celebrating its 100th auui�ersary THROLIGII THE WINDOW — In the new part of the Grinnell Library this view can he gained of the Zion Episcopal Church. The history of the church and the library are linked in many ways, according to a village historian, Mrs. Dorothy Jlls- nam� late Photo by Dohen dorf. One of the founders of the library was t famed Episcopalian rector, the Rt. Rev. lleu Yates Satterlee, later the first bishop of AN`ar ington, D.C.