There are certain places in a small town that quietly hold the memories of generations. They may not be the loudest buildings on the street or the most photographed spots along the lake, but they carry something deeper — the stories of the people who have passed through their doors.
In Hammondsport, one of those places is the
Fred & Harriett Taylor Memorial Library.
This year, the library quietly celebrates
150 years of serving the community. One hundred and fifty years of readers, students, curious minds, and neighbors stepping inside to borrow a book… or perhaps just a moment of quiet.
The First Shelf of Stories
The story begins in
1875, when a small group of Hammondsport residents gathered in a home in the village with a simple but powerful idea: the town should have a library.
Books were donated. A small collection began to form. And in
1876, the Hammondsport Public Library officially opened its doors — though “doors” might be a generous description.
The first library operated out of
H. L. Moore’s Drug Store, holding just
388 books. A membership cost
one dollar per year, and members could borrow
one book each week.
Imagine that for a moment.
A Village Scene in 1876
Picture
Pulteney Square in Hammondsport in the late 1870s.
The village was already a lively hub at the southern end of Keuka Lake. Horse-drawn wagons rolled along the streets, farmers came into town to trade and shop, and visitors arrived by boat from the lake docks just a short walk away.
Around the square stood a mix of
two- and three-story brick and wooden storefronts, their ground floors filled with businesses while offices or apartments occupied the rooms above.
Signs hung over the sidewalks advertising:
- general stores
- milliners and dressmakers
- hardware merchants
- hotels and boarding houses
- the village newspaper
- and, of course, the
local drug store
Somewhere among those storefronts stood
H. L. Moore’s Drug Store, located in the village business district near Pulteney Square — the commercial heart of Hammondsport.
Drug stores in the 19th century were rarely just pharmacies. They were social hubs — part medicine shop, part gathering place. Shelves of glass bottles filled with tonics and remedies lined the walls, drawers held herbs and powders, and neighbors often lingered at the counter sharing village news.
And inside that very shop, likely on a modest shelf or small cabinet, sat the
first 388 books of the Hammondsport Public Library.
Imagine a villager stepping in from the street, brushing dust from their coat, and asking for the book they had reserved. The pharmacist might reach behind the counter, retrieve the volume, and mark the borrower’s name in a ledger.
It was simple.
But from that small shelf in a village drug store grew a library that would serve Hammondsport for generations.
A Library That Grew With the Village
As Hammondsport grew, so did its library.
In
1883, the collection moved from Moore’s drug store to
a small building facing Pulteney Park, roughly where the
post office parking lot area is today.
Over the years the library continued to move as its collection expanded — spending time in several buildings around the village, including the basement of the school at Lake and Main Streets and later the Conderman Block near the old opera house.
Eventually it found a home in the old stone school building.
And through every move, one thing stayed the same — the library belonged to the people of Hammondsport.
By
1938, it was formally chartered as a public library for the
Town of Urbana, ensuring that this growing collection of stories would remain part of the community’s future.
The Taylor Legacy
Today the library carries the name
Fred & Harriett Taylor, honoring a Hammondsport family whose legacy of philanthropy continues to support projects that strengthen the region.
Their name now sits above the door of a place that has welcomed generations of readers
.
A New Chapter
In 2007, the library opened its current home on William Street — a bright and welcoming space built specifically for the community it serves.
The new building was made possible in part through the dedication of Katherine Meade, who worked tirelessly to raise funds for the new library building, helping bring the project to life through her passion for the library and the Hammondsport community. Her efforts became an important part of the library’s modern story — a reminder that even today, libraries remain places built by the dedication of local people who believe in the quiet power of books, learning, and community.
Visitors to the library can see a lasting tribute to that work.
On the back patio, a statue of Katherine Meade surrounded by her grandchildren now sits quietly overlooking the space. It’s a fitting image — a grandmother and children gathered together — symbolizing exactly who libraries are built for. It speaks not only to one woman’s efforts, but to the generations that libraries serve: the curious child opening their first book, the student searching for answers, and the lifelong reader returning again and again to the comfort of stories.
The statue reminds visitors that the Fred & Harriet Taylor Memorial Library is more than a building filled with books. It is a place where generations meet — grandparents sharing stories, children discovering their first favorite books, and neighbors gathering around the simple but powerful idea that knowledge and community belong to everyone.
Inside today, the shelves hold more than 30,000 items — books, films, digital resources, and materials for readers of every age.
Yet among all those volumes, one small piece of the past remains.
The very first book in the library’s collection, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, is still part of the story — a quiet link between the library’s earliest beginnings and the generations who continue to walk through its doors today.
And thanks to people like Katherine Meade, the doors of the library remain open — welcoming the next generation to step inside, turn a page, and discover their own stories waiting within.
More Than Books
Libraries today still do what they have always done best — connect people with knowledge, stories, and ideas.
But over the years they have grown into something even more meaningful.
Modern libraries have become
community gathering spaces, places where people meet neighbors, attend programs, learn new skills, and share experiences. Alongside shelves of books, you now find workshops, children’s activities, local history collections, technology resources, and spaces where conversations and friendships naturally unfold.
They remain guardians of information and learning while also serving as
living community centers that strengthen the towns around them.
In many ways, the library reflects the spirit of a town itself — welcoming, curious, and always evolving.
A Community Celebration
And now, the community is invited to celebrate this milestone together.
On
Saturday, April 25th from 12:00 – 2:00 PM, the
Fred & Harriett Taylor Memorial Library will host a
150th Anniversary Community Celebration, welcoming neighbors, families, and friends to gather both
indoors and outdoors for an afternoon that reflects the heart of the library itself — learning, laughter, and community.
The celebration will begin with a
community toast to the library at 12:15 PM, a brief moment to recognize the generations who built, supported, and cherished this village treasure.
Throughout the afternoon visitors can enjoy:
- Live jazz music performed by a trio from the Eastman School of Music featuring
Tyler Washizu Waltner – Nu Zeta
- Face painting by Jennifer Thomas of Horseheads
- Lawn games including giant Jenga, cornhole, and more
- Craft activities for kids
- Historical displays highlighting the story of the library and the community through the years
- Library tours showcasing new offerings like the
Library of Things, the
history room, children’s spaces, and more
- Book sale rooms open to visitors
- Small bites and refreshments
Most importantly, there will be
lots of community — the very spirit that has sustained the library for a century and a half.
And true to the library’s mission,
the celebration is free and open to everyone.
A Keuka Roots Note
Every small town has places that anchor it — buildings that stand quietly while life flows around them.
For Hammondsport, the
Fred & Harriett Taylor Memorial Library is one of those places.
Inside its walls are not just books.
There are
150 years of Keuka Lake stories waiting patiently on the shelves.
And on April 25th, the community gathers not just to celebrate a building… but the generations of readers, dreamers, and neighbors who made it what it is today.
Stay Rooted. Stay Keuka. 🌿📚
Fred & Harriet Taylor Memorial Library
21 William Street
Hammondsport, NY 14840
Website: hammondsportlibrary.org
Phone: (607) 569-2045
