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Watford Library |
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The following account, from History of Watford - Trade Directory (1884) describes the original Public Library In November, 1871, the inhabitants of Watford, in vestry assembled, adopted the Public Libraries Acts, 1855, 1866, and 1871, and the Watford Local Board of Health appointed the following gentlemen to carry the wishes of the ratepayers into effect:- Dr. A. T. Brett, M,D. (chairman); Messrs. S. Camp, C. F. Humbert, A. Cottain, J. J. Cox, H. Kingham, J. Sedgwick, J. J. Smith, G. Tidcombe, jun., G. Wales, Dr. F. H. Wilson Iles, and the Rev. Newton Price. The first and great business of the committee was to provide funds for the erection of a building. An appeal was made to the public, who responded very satisfactorily, and the work was carried out. |
 Watford Public Library, Queens Road Picture by Downer published in Watford in 1891 |
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| The most liberal contributor was Mr. Thos. Clutterbuck, of Micklefield Hall, who gave the greater part of the site on which thc library stands, with a cottage at the rear, and £100; he also lent the committee upwards of £400 without interest to complete the work, and, I understand, afterwards gave a receipt for a considerable part of that amount without actual repayment. The cost of the building, fittings, &c., was £2,700, of which sum the Science and Art Department granted £492 7s. 6d. The foundation-stone was laid by T. F. Halsey, Esq., M.P., on the 5th July, 1873, and the occasion was made one for a demonstration of the pleasure and interest the inhabitants had in the valuable work in hand. A bottle containing a set of coins of the realm and a copy of the Watford Observer newspaper was placed in the stone from the bottom, a hole having been made in it for that purpose. The architects were Messrs. Sedgwick & Son. The building is designed in that rendering of the Gothic style which has of late years been carried out so successfully in brickwork. The main portion of the exterior is executed in yellow bricks, relieved by the introduction of red and black bricks and Bath stone dressings. In the windows are red Mansfield stone shafts and caned decorations. The building, which is of two storeys, has a frontage of 80 ft. and an average depth of 47 ft., and in the two floors there is an area of about 7,500 ft. On the ground floor there are two spacious public reading-rooms, each communicating with library or book-room; and on the other side of entrance-hall, news-room, committee-room, and apparatus-room. On the first floor there are two good science class-rooms, convertible into one exhibition gallery or lecture-hall; 51½ ft. by 30 ft., and capable of holding 250 persons; also a set of rooms for art teaching, namely, elementary painting and modelling rooms, with room for art master. The arrangements for drainage and ventilation were made with due regard to the latest improvements, and were examined and approved by the Science and Art Department. | ||
