Princeton Public Library

Story

Princeton Public Library is located in Princeton, Illinois, the county seat of Bureau County.Past EventsIn the late 19th century, it was realized that Princeton was in need of an open to public Library. The earliest loaning of books was by a private individual, Cyrus Bryant. Later organizations were begun such as The Bryant Circle and The Princeton Book Club. In the late 19th century work began on developing a public library.1885 – The beginning of a dreamPrinceton Public Library, formerly known as Matson Public Library, began as a realization of a dream of Nehemiah Matson. In 1885, anticipating a bequest, the town council adopted an ordinance accepting the legacy in trust of Nehemiah to be set apart as a library fund for the city. They provided a board of nine directors to have exclusive control of the fund for the city and the power to purchase, lease or construct a building that would be suitable for a library. The town council would have custody of the building and the grounds and they would appoint suitable librarians and assistants and decide how much they would be paid.1885 to 1890 – Establishing Princeton's first libraryOn October 1, 1885, the first board of directors was appointed.In 1886, three years after Nehemiah's death, the county court paid his bequest to the town council for the establishment of a free public library and reading room in the city of Princeton. The amount of money left to accomplish this task was $11,862.67.In 1888, Nehemiah's legacy reached $15,000 and the board worked on finding a location for the new library.In 1889, the board purchased a two-room structure at 529 South Main Street for $1,600 and spent an additional $655 on repair and remodeling the structure for the purpose of serving as a library. It did not have city water or a furnace. The front room was sublet and the rear room was fitted with shelves for books.