Bennington Free Library

Bennington Free Library is a public library located at 101 Silver Street in Bennington, Vermont.

Bennington Free Library
42.87785634680036°N 73.19321634814088°W / 42.87785634680036; -73.19321634814088
Location	Bennington, Vermont, US
Type	Public library
Established	1865
Other information
Website	https://benningtonfreelibrary.org/

History

The library was established in 1865, by Trenor W. Park and Seth B. Hunt, on the corner of Main and Silver Streets.^[1][2] Originally, and costing in total 10,000 USD, a room was "fitted up as a library" on the second floor of the as yet unfinished building.^[3] The Town of Bennington then, in 1897, voted to appropriate funds towards making library materials available free of charge.

In 1936 a new library was constructed adjacent to the original, and donated in memory of Park by his son.^[4] The architect for the 1936 library was Herbert Turner.^[4] In the late 1980s, the library went through significant renovations, including the construction of a bridge between the nineteenth and twentieth century buildings.^[5]