I admit that when I first read the name of the next stop of the H.H. Richardson library tour, my daughter’s sneakers, strewn across the living room floor, came to mind. But then I chided myself, got all librarianish and started to read the history. And what do you know, my gut was right, the story of The Converse Memorial Library, a National Historic Landmark at 36 Salem Street in Malden, Mass, is related to the smelly Chuck Taylors in my living room. I am never disappointed by the intrigue of history.
The Converse Library was built in 1885, the last of Richardson’s four libraries near Boston. The breathtaking building combines many elements of Richardson’s signature style: large arched doorways, rough cut longmeadow sandstone, a tower near the entry and intricately carved ornamentation. Building on his strengths, Richardson designed the entryway with not one but four massive arches.
The story of The Converse Library begins with a familiar history...Malden’s library, established in 1879 got its start in a room in the town hall. Malden’s original mayor, Elisha Converse decided the town could do better and he and his wife, Mary, donated the funds for a permanent structure for the library and art gallery. But then the story takes a dramatic and unexpected turn. The library is named in honor of the couple’s son, Frank Eugene Converse who was murdered in a bank robbery that Wikipedia claims was the first bank robbery/murder in North America! Frank was working as a cashier at the Malden Bank in 1863 when he was killed, in the middle of the day, by E.W. Green, the Malden Postmaster, who was attempting a robbery.
In addition to the murder mystery I learned that the Malden Converses were actually the founders of what would become the famous Converse sneaker company. Thanks to Chaim Rosenberg’s book, “Products and Adverstising in the Massachusetts Industrial Age” I learned the following history. Elisha and his brother James, began a rubber shoe company in 1853 in the village of Malden, outside of Boston. The company used rubber, a new, exciting material, to make shoes and overshoes for the slushy New England winters. By 1882, the Boston Rubber Shoe Company was the largest employer in town (with 3,500 workers) and Elisha became the Mayor. He was the town’s great philanthropist, not only funding the library but also the hospital. But four years after Elisha’s death a new operation moved into town under the direction of Marquis M. Mills - Elisha’s fourth cousin. Marquis made the wise business decision to use his mother’s name, Converse, to open his own shoe factory, Converse Rubber Shoe Company, and by 1910 they were making 4,000 pairs of shoes a day. Marquis’s company found their niche in athletic shoes at the time sports was gaining popularity in America. In the 1930s shoe making left Malden when both companies were bought out by larger firms (Converse is now owned by Nike).
The Converse Library is a perfect example of a beautiful, but unassuming, building that is hides a fascinating history. We drive by buildings like this everyday without knowing their true stories, their joys, sorrows and mysteries. If we do not preserve our past, if we raze old news in favor of pristine construction we will bury our own American history in the rubble and never get it back. Protecting and preserving the buildings and homes in our communities preserves our culture so that future generations can experience it, feel the stone, hear the floorboards creak and soak in the beauty of building materials that we no longer can afford to use. These buildings offer a living window into our past that is more powerful and meaningful than any book, blog or photograph could ever provide.
Do we really want to sell our country’s history for the convenience of a big box store and efficient heating systems? I sure don’t.
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| Photo from Wikipedia |
The story of The Converse Library begins with a familiar history...Malden’s library, established in 1879 got its start in a room in the town hall. Malden’s original mayor, Elisha Converse decided the town could do better and he and his wife, Mary, donated the funds for a permanent structure for the library and art gallery. But then the story takes a dramatic and unexpected turn. The library is named in honor of the couple’s son, Frank Eugene Converse who was murdered in a bank robbery that Wikipedia claims was the first bank robbery/murder in North America! Frank was working as a cashier at the Malden Bank in 1863 when he was killed, in the middle of the day, by E.W. Green, the Malden Postmaster, who was attempting a robbery.
In addition to the murder mystery I learned that the Malden Converses were actually the founders of what would become the famous Converse sneaker company. Thanks to Chaim Rosenberg’s book, “Products and Adverstising in the Massachusetts Industrial Age” I learned the following history. Elisha and his brother James, began a rubber shoe company in 1853 in the village of Malden, outside of Boston. The company used rubber, a new, exciting material, to make shoes and overshoes for the slushy New England winters. By 1882, the Boston Rubber Shoe Company was the largest employer in town (with 3,500 workers) and Elisha became the Mayor. He was the town’s great philanthropist, not only funding the library but also the hospital. But four years after Elisha’s death a new operation moved into town under the direction of Marquis M. Mills - Elisha’s fourth cousin. Marquis made the wise business decision to use his mother’s name, Converse, to open his own shoe factory, Converse Rubber Shoe Company, and by 1910 they were making 4,000 pairs of shoes a day. Marquis’s company found their niche in athletic shoes at the time sports was gaining popularity in America. In the 1930s shoe making left Malden when both companies were bought out by larger firms (Converse is now owned by Nike).
The Converse Library is a perfect example of a beautiful, but unassuming, building that is hides a fascinating history. We drive by buildings like this everyday without knowing their true stories, their joys, sorrows and mysteries. If we do not preserve our past, if we raze old news in favor of pristine construction we will bury our own American history in the rubble and never get it back. Protecting and preserving the buildings and homes in our communities preserves our culture so that future generations can experience it, feel the stone, hear the floorboards creak and soak in the beauty of building materials that we no longer can afford to use. These buildings offer a living window into our past that is more powerful and meaningful than any book, blog or photograph could ever provide.
Do we really want to sell our country’s history for the convenience of a big box store and efficient heating systems? I sure don’t.
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