Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
1907.73.1 |
Object Name |
Postcard |
Description |
First public library site. Jonathan M. Dexter house, 608 Massachusetts Avenue Grey Did you know – Arlington was the site of the first free children’s library in the nation? It was established in this house, the Jonathan Marsh Dexter House, in 1837. The "West Cambridge Juvenile Library" was made possible by an 1835 bequest of Dr. Ebenezer Learned, of Hopkinton, N.H. Learned left $100 as to the town where he had spent a few years teaching while also attending Harvard College. The bequest made it possible to buy the first collection of children’s books, which the new librarian Mr. Dexter carted to his own house in a wheelbarrow. Dexter later gave up the position and moved to New York City, where he died in 1861. The next librarian was Sarah Estabrook and the library was transferred to her home in the "old Adams house" at the corner of what would be today’s Massachusetts Avenue and Mystic Street. It evolved into Arlington’s public library for all ages that is today’s Robbins Library. Despite protests by preservation activists, the Dexter House was demolished in 1974 to expand parking and build the drive through window lane for the bank next to it (Arlington Five Cents Savings Bank; taken over after its failure in 1991 by Cambridge Savings). The photograph was taken by Edith Whittemore, likely in the 1920s (note that the date of 1836 given at the bottom is a reference to the library date, not the date of photograph). Miss Whittemore spent her career at Robbins Library. This view is from the rear of the building looking towards Massachusetts Avenue. It was sited perpendicular to the street, just as is Robbins Library; deep lots with narrow street frontage dictated such choices, then as now. The cupola in the background to the left belonged to the old town hall, which stood where the "Uncle Sam Plaza" is today. |
Date |
1837 |
Year Range from |
1837 |
People |
Whittemore, Edith Dexter, Jonathan Marsh Estabrook, Sarah Adams Learned, Ebenezer |
Subjects |
Libraries Houses |
Search Terms |
1830s Arlington Five Cents Savings Bank Arlington Public Library Cambridge Savings Bank Jonathan Marsh Dexter House Library Massachusetts Avenue Mystic Street Robbins Library West Cambridge Juvenile Library |
Print size |
3 3/8 x 5 3/8" |
Source |
Gannett, Mrs. Charles H. (Mary Lyman Dupee |
Collection |
Arlington Historical Society Collection |
Copyright |
Rights status not evaluated. (CC BY-NC-ND) Non-commercial use only. |