Richard Sugden Public Library

SPENCER, MA.

On April 2, 1888, the Town of Spencer received the gift of a much needed library building from Richard Sugden, a wealthy local wire manufacturer. Sugden’s gift reflected his childhood love of reading and the memory of his limited access to books as a child in Yorkshire, England. He also wanted to provide a wholesome refuge for the dozens of workers in his factories. The Richard Sugden Library was dedicated on August 15, 1889. Located in the center of town, it is a fine Romanesque Revival style building of East Brookfield red brick with Longmeadow red stone trim. It is an important part of the Spencer Town Center National Register District and has retained most of its original features including beautiful stained glass windows, a slate roof, the prominent bell-cast tower, and many original interior oak furnishings. It houses significant paintings by prominent local artists as well as the collections of the Spencer Historical Society Museum.

The library was first wired for electricity in 1904. In the same year, the Good Samaritan Association completed an emergency room in the basement complete with hot and cold running water and surgical and medical supplies. Named “The Wheeler Surgery” after a local doctor who served on the Library Board of Trustees, it was in use for a short time and later converted into museum space. A glass-floored balcony was added in 1907, and a Children’s Room in 1930. The library has been renovated several times over the years, most recently in 1996, when a new addition more than doubled the space and modernized the building systems. The original card system of cataloging books was introduced in 1897 and the catalog was computerized in the 1990’s and became part of the C/W MARS regional automated system. In recent years, library users have come to rely on access to a wide range of modern services including internet access, e-books, and community programming. The library has always been a major part of the downtown streetscape and an integral part of community life.