Joseph H. Plumb Memorial Library

ROCHESTER, MA.

The original library was established with a generous donation from Mrs. Charles Leonard in the late 1800s. Mr. & Mrs. Leonard resided at what is now known as Hiller Farm. The library was housed in the Town Hall until the 1970s.

The present library was built in 1976. The building and grounds were donated to the town by Dorothy (Gibbs) Bray Plumb, in memory of her late husband, Joseph H. Plumb who died in 1970. Joseph Hudson Plumb was born in 1913 and prior to living in Rochester, Massachusetts he resided in the neighboring town of Marion, Massachusetts. He was the son of Joseph Plumb and Maybelle Houghton. He wrote at least one novel, entitled TRADING WEST, which was published in Boston by B. Humphries in 1940. It is a sea adventure story. Mr. Plumb was an avid boater, yachtsman, reader, and car collector. He and Dorothy Plumb lived in several of the prominent homes in Rochester. There are portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Plumb on display at the library, and Mr. Plumb’s oversized, solid oak rocking chair is a favorite feature of the library’s seating area.