ReMarx on Genealogy and History: January 2017

Thursday, January 26, 2017

The Easton Area Public Library Carnegie Building

Did you know…

The Carnegie Library beginnings go back to May 20, 1811 when a group of men decided that Easton needed a Public Library. Almost 100 subscribers had been obtained and the Easton Library Company was formally organized. The library was a type of stock company usually known as a subscription library. Anyone could be a member by purchasing a share priced at $5.00. No one but stockholders were allowed to take out books except members or their families. The first library was on Third St., but by 1815 they opened up on Second St. and owned over 700 books. By 1858 there were nearly 5,000 books of many subjects.

Library Hall on North Second Street

The Civil War brought hard times to the library and an agreement was made for the School District to take up the maintenance of the library. By doing this, the library was made available to the school children and anyone in the city could use the books with the annual fee of $2.00. Few books had been purchased with this “merger” for a functioning Public Library, so the Easton School District and Easton Library Co. came to an agreement and by 1895 The Easton Library Association was organized with dues set at $1.00 per year. The demands grew rapidly and soon further support was needed for adequate quarters.

Andrew Carnegie agreed to give $50,000 to erect a building, with the School Board agreeing to appropriate a yearly sum for it’s upkeep.

Andrew Carnegie

The money was raised and the burying ground of the German Reformed Church was purchased.

The overgrown German Reformed Cemetery

In October of 1903 the present building of the Easton Public Library was dedicated.

In 1913, with further aid from Carnegie, the stack room was added.

The Carnegie Building with the added stacks in the back.

Henry Forster Marx

The Marx History Room was named after Henry Forster Marx, Director of the Easton Public Library.

Mr. Marx was born in Allentown in 1865 and died in Easton in 1947.

He retired in 1936, serving 35 years as founding Director of the Andrew Carnegie Easton Public Library.

He relentlessly advocated learning in the young people of Easton, being an English teacher first, in the Easton High School before becoming the first library director. In his directorship he was materially responsible for the library building that opened in late 1903 and was considered a pioneer among PA Public Libraries. He was a charter member of the Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society. But most of all, Henry Marx was known for having what was thought of and still may be, the most complete local history and genealogical department, covering Easton and Northampton County. One of the projects that Mr. Marx took advantage of was the WPA (Works Progress Administration, the most ambitious American New Deal started by Franklin D. Roosevelt) Even after his retirement, Mr. Marx continued to do research and help bring history and records to the library.