Concord Free Public Library

The Concord Free Public Library is a public library in the town of Concord, Massachusetts. The main building is located at 129 Main Street, and the Fowler branch is located at 1322 Main Street in West Concord.

History
The Concord Free Public Library was founded by Concord native William Munroe, son of the famed pencil-maker. Munroe worked with other prominent members of Concord to form a Board of Trustees that would provide financial backing for the library.  Building plans were commissioned by Boston firm Snell and Gregerson. The land was purchased in 1869, and construction began in 1872. The library was dedicated on October 1, 1873.

In March 1885, the Concord Free Library was the first institution to ban Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and a number of New England newspapers applauded their condemnation:  the Daily Advertiser (Boston), the Daily Republican (Springfield, MA), and the Freeman (Concord, MA).  But many criticized or mocked the library's decision, and as a number of contemporaries and Twain himself noted, the ban contributed to the novel's publicity and helped its sales.

The Fowler branch of the Concord Free Public Library, designed by architect Harry Little, was dedicated on May 18, 1930.

References

Category:Public libraries in Massachusetts
Category:Libraries in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Category:Buildings and structures in Concord, Massachusetts
Category:Library buildings completed in 1873
Category:Tourist attractions in Concord, Massachusetts