Fobes Memorial Library

OAKHAM, MA.

The town of Oakham was first settled in 1749 and was established as a precinct of Rutland in 1759. In 1761 the first metting house was built to be used both as a town hall and church, and in 1775 the Town of Oakham was incorporated. As the town grew, schools were established, and a “social library” was created in 1789. Subscribers to the library paid two dollars to be used for purchasing books and were assessed twenty-five cents per year for the privilege of borrowing them. In 1842 the Massachusetts State Treasurer paid the Oakham selectmen fifteen dollars for each of the three school districts for the purchase of books. These school “libraries” typically consisted of from thirty to forty books and were kept in a small red bookcase in one of the homes in each district.