Salem Athenaeum

From Salem Links and Lore
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  • This private library founded in 1810, began by the merging of two local libraries, the Social Library, founded in 1760, and the Philosophical Library, founded in 1781. For the first four decades, the Athenaeum had no permanent home and occupied quarters at four different locations in Salem. In the 1850's a bequest by Caroline Plummer enabled the group to build at 134 Essex St, which was its home until the early 1900's (now the home of the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum.)
  • The Athenaeum sold the building to the Essex Institute in 1905 and built the current building at 337 Essex Street in 1906. Dedicated in 1907, this red brick structure is modeled after "Homewood" the house in Maryland that Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, built for his son.
  • The first library in Salem, the Athenaeum pooled the resources of the educated, who owned books in Salem. Both Nathaniel Bowditch and Nathaniel Hawthorne used this unique library. Some of the older books in the collection came from the spoils of ships captured during the privateering of British ships in the late 1700's. These are called the Kirwan Collection.
  • Presently, the library has approximately 50,000 books, many of them rare, but the library does also purchase newly published books as well for its many members. The Athenaeum offers many educational events throughout the year including author talks. Some of these are open to the public. The Athenaeum celebrated the 100 year anniversary of their building in March of 2007.

See Also

  • Vertical File in Salem Collection - Salem Athenaeum
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