The Danbury Public Library

The Danbury Public Library. Danbury, Connecticut. , In 1771, the Reverend Ebenezer Baldwin drew up terms for a subscription library that would be free to all denominations. Between 1793 and 1856, several other libraries were formed and disbanded. , In 1869 the present Danbury Library was incorporated. William A. White of Brooklyn left a sum of $10,000 to establish a public library in his native borough of Danbury. The following year, his brother Alexander M. White donated funds, property and his birthplace on Main Street for use until a suitable building could be erected. , The Danbury Library opened at 254 Main Street in 1878. It became a free library in 1893. At the close of its first year, the number of subscribers had grown from 320 to 2,300. , On June 7, 1970, the Danbury Public Library opened on the corner of Main and West Streets on the site of the old City Hall. An original wall from that structure and a statue of Sybil Ludington by sculptress Anna Hyatt Huntington were incorporated into the library plaza design. , A devastating fire occurred inside the library on the night of February 27, 1996. The entire first floor was destroyed and other areas suffered significant damage. , The community responded with an outpouring of aid; and by September 7, 1996 a new and improved Danbury Public Library reopened to the public. , Today the library welcomes more than 50,000 visitors and circulates print and non-print collections in more than 20 languages each year. , The old Danbury Library building still stands at 254 Main Street and is now home to the Danbury Music Centre.