Connecticut's Library Heritage
The library owes its existence to a thrifty and hardworking couple, Willoughby Wallace and his wife, Frances Coe. Wallace was born in East Haddam in 1854 but moved with his family to Middletown and then to Hartford, where he finished his schooling. In 1875, the family came to Stony Creek, where Willoughby married Frances Coe, youngest daughter of Ebenezer and Phoebe Coe.
Willoughby's first business venture was the roller skating rink now known as Seaside Hall. It was not a success, so he joined his parents in selling home baked food to Thimble Islands' residents. When his mother gave up baking, his wife took over, and Mr. Wallace rowed daily from island to island, selling their wares. After a few years, he moved to Meriden and there found an opportunity to learn key making, then a highly skilled trade. This brought him employment as key-maker for Yale University, where he stayed until he retired.
After Mrs. Wallace died, Willoughby returned to Stony Creek and lived out his ninety-four years in extreme frugality on the upper floor of his house on Wallace Road. He read by the light of the radio and the street light and wore the same coat for forty years. His greatest pleasure was in saving money and investing it. His life savings, along with his wife's considerable contribution, made possible the1948 bequest that built the library and continues to provide support. The library also receives an annual appropriation from the Town of Branford.
The original collection included 15,000 printed volumes and a small collection of non-print materials. Now, the collection has grown to 30,000 volumes and includes an extensive audio-visual collection for both children and adults. Our mission is to feature, in a friendly atmosphere, current high demand, high interest materials in a variety of formats for persons of all ages. We focus on programs and services for children and students in order to foster an interest in reading and learning, and we support the concept of equality of access to library and information services, integrating technology with traditional library services.
The library serves as a center for current information on community resources and provides a meeting place for cultural events. Two special programs are the monthly art exhibits sponsored by the Friends of WWML and a recently completed preservation project of the Stony Creek Historical Collection. A large collection of Stony Creek photographs, artifacts, and memorabilia has been professionally conserved in the archival condition needed to preserve our history. A generous donation from the Woodring family allowed us to automate and provide the technical services needed in today's information society.
While we wished to maintain our "small library "status, our space had reached its capacity to meet the day-to-day operations of the library. In considering changes, it was important to be aware of our staffing limitations; the person on duty must supervise the entire library.
We had many areas of concern: lack of administrative space, a quiet reading area, a separate children's service, and central air-conditioning; a need to upgrade wiring and space for technological and communication improvements; inefficient circulation desk space and stack lighting, an inadequate septic system and unsupervised restrooms; an under-utilized display area for the Stony Creek Historical Collection; unacceptable noise levels and 20-year-old carpeting.
Our library neighbor, the architectural firm of Arbonies King Vlock, was chosen to do the design work, and they most generously offered to make a gift of their services to the village. The initial cost to renovate and add to the library was estimated to be $675,000. We received a public library construction grant of $173,000. The town's contribution was originally $250,000, with the balance to come from the WWML endowment and fund-raising efforts. The final cost of the project was $900,000; the town contributed another $65,000, and the balance was met from the WWML endowment.
Looking back, I realize how optimistic we were in our initial estimate about how long the project would take. The process started in January 1997, when the WWML Committee decided to explore the possibility of expansion and renovation. The anticipated completion date was June 2000; however, the project was finally completed in June 2002.
During the six-month construction period, the library was re-located, with about 20% of its collection, to the former Stony Creek School, which now serves as headquarters for the Branford Land Trust. They generously leased the building to us for $1, allowing us to maintain a community presence.
The library building had remained virtually unchanged since it was constructed in 1958. We needed to renovate and expand but were limited by our site and financial resources. Arbonies King Vlock clearly understood these limitations and was especially sensitive to the community's desire to retain the essence of the original Orr design. They made the most of what we had, provided us with what we needed, and created new spaces that feel like they were always here.
They took great care to incorporate our natural resource, Stony Creek granite, as an integral part of their design. An exterior granite wall became the interior wall of our reading area. A magnificent piece of polished granite was used for our circulation desk, and our entrance path and lobby were transformed from asphalt, concrete, and linoleum to granite pavers. Arbonies King Vlock also sought out local artists to contribute their talents to our project, including a panoramic lobby mural of early Stony Creek. Their sensitivity and awareness of what makes our community unique allowed them to create the wonderful space we now have. The architects were recently honored as the 2003 Connecticut AIA Emerging Architectural Firm.
The library re-opened on a beautiful early summer afternoon on June 2, 2002. The Friends of the Library provided a gala celebration, and over 900 people turned out to marvel at the improvements to the library and the new addition. And the praise continues! At least once a day someone remarks about the beauty of the library. In a recent newspaper article about the architects, we were described at the "beloved" Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library.