Two Libraries in Lenox

If you were one of the mega-rich during the Gilded Age in America, you had a big choice to make...should I summer in Newport, Mount Desert or Lenox?  

As a long time resident of Newport and a Maine vacationer, I wrongly assumed that all the wealth of this pre-tax time was all poured into the most beautiful coastal areas to build summer cottages (mansions) and plan outrageously extravagant parties. 

 
But the ocean air isn’t for everyone.  Lenox, Ma, tucked into the Berkshire Mountains in Western Massachusetts began as an artist colony in the mid 1800s and attracted its own industrialists and financiers who built Berkshire “cottages” around Lenox and Stockbridge.  Who opted for the mountains?  Morgans, Vanderbilts, Choates, Westinghouses, Edith Wharton and even Carnegie, who purchased ‘Shadowbrook’ in 1916 and died there two years later (it burned down in 1956).

The social scene during the Gilded Age was all about parties, dinners, gowns and showing off, not so much about reading.  And, of course, if you’re rich enough to build a 25 room mansion, you can have your own damn library, no need to share with the locals.  But it was thanks to one of the Lenox society matrons that the Lenox Library found it’s home in the majestic Greek revival building on Main Street.  Julius Rosenwald’s article, “Courthouse, Ballroom, Theater, Jail.  Renovating the Lenox Library” filled me in on the history.

Lenox served as the county seat for about 25 years before the town decided to build a distinguished court house that would demonstrate community pride and importance.  Lenox hired Captain Damon, from Northampton, to design and build a courthouse in 1816 and he created a stately, but functional, space for a court room, offices, and judge’s chambers.  

The Courthouse nobly served it’s duty for Berkshire County until 1868 when the county seat was moved to Pittsfield and Lenox was left with an empty Courthouse.  Town officials scheduled an auction.

Mrs. Adeline Schermerhorn was in Rome (Italy, not New York) when she heard the news of the auction and made arrangements to buy the building and donate it to the town as a library.  Schermerhorn had summered in Lenox for many years and wanted to act on her fond memories.  She requested that the library be named “The Charles Sedgwick Library and Reading Rooms” which left Lenox with an unusual problem for 1870 - two libraries.  Mrs. Schermerhorn either didn’t know or didn’t really care that The Lenox Library Association had already been up and running for 20 years.

But who can argue when a gift horse delivers a courthouse?  Mrs. Schermerhorn passed away before the ink on the deed was wet and Lenox was left to sort out the logistics...