Old Babylon Library/ Babylon Village Historical Society Museum

The Babylon Book Circle was formed around 1890 by several local women: Mrs. Thomas B. Arnold, Miss Louise Sammis and Miss Loreign Reid. The members of the Circle paid $3 dues and bought books which were moved from house to house. A room was donated by D.S.S. Sammis to house the books at the back of the Sammis Block building behind the telegraph office. Later, a room was leased in the Woman's Exchange on Deer Park Avenue. Finally, two rooms were donated in the Fishel Block building, courtesy of L.H. Fishel. By 1910, the collection held about 4,000 books overseen by volunteer librarians three mornings per week.

The Babylon Library Association released a sketch of the proposed library building that was printed in the local newspaper in September 1910 (see images). Another $1,500 needed to be raised to reach a goal of $6,000. The proposed building "of monumental design" was to be covered in stucco and was touted as an "ornament to the village." The public was urged to donate to upgrade the walls from wooden to terra cotta blocks to become completely fireproof. The proposed standing seam metal roof would be upgraded from tin to copper if enough funds were secured. The building was to be constructed on a terrace about four feet above existing ground level, on land donated by the Livingston family. A hot air furnace was donated to the library and the architect was Arthur D. Pickering of the firm Pickering and Walker of Park Avenue, New York City.

The contract to build the new library was awarded in November 1910 to Ellner W. Howell for a bid of $6,835. On August 11, 1911 the local newspaper published a photo of the front of the newly-built library taken right after the front lawn was graded (see images). The photographer claimed this photo to be the first taken of the new library. A hipped roof covers the original part of the building, which was L-shaped in plan; the rear addition has a flat roof. The original entrance steps were replaced by new concrete steps and a ramp in 1992. The wooden door in the main entrance is not original and is flanked by simple Tuscan columns. A blue tablet above the entrance now reads "Village of Babylon Historical & Preservation Society." The vaulted ceilings in the original parts of the building have been replastered and restored. There are five main areas in the old part of the structure which have been retained, separated by partitiion walls: a small entry vestibule, the main reading room, two alcoves leading to the main reading room, and the reception or children's room. The 1964 addition on the north (rear) side of the original library enlarged the reading room and public areas and added a fireproof vault encased in concrete to hold rare materials. The original fireplace in the reception room used to have small bathrooms on either side of the fireplace; the spaces are now a storage closet and a kitchen, after the bathrooms were moved to the addition in 2008.

Anonymous. "The New Library Building Plans." South Side Signal (Babylon, NY) September 23rd 1910. 1-1.

Anonymous. "Island News Notes." Suffolk County News (Sayville, NY) December 2nd 1910. 6-6.

Anonymous. "Local Library is Formally Opened." South Side Signal (Babylon, N.Y.) October 27th 1911. 1-1.

Babylon Village Historical & Preservation Society. About the Babylon Village Historical Society Museum, About Us. January 9th 2019. Accessed May 19th 2021. https://babylonvillagehistoricalsociety.org/aboutus.html.

Kennedy, Karen A. Apmann, Sarah Bean. NRHP Nomination of The Babylon Library, Babylon, N.Y.. National Register. Washington, DC. National Park Service, 2015.