Guilford H Hathaway Library

A library
that
never
changes
I love tiny, old libraries and they just don’t come any tinier or older than the Guilford Hathaway Library. It was constructed in 1895 with money donated by Florence Hathaway in memory of her father and I suspect it hardly changed over the decades.
The library is indeed tiny and absolutely filled with books stacked everywhere. It’s difficult to walk in some areas but the diminutive place has to make use of every nooks and cranny. Old books, new books and some unique old stuff occupies every shelve and they even have room for a few computers.
The library does have electricity but no running water and no bathrooms. It smells old and stuffy but in a pleasant sort of way. This is a place that the local people of the village of Assonet probably think of as their private library.
The building certainly looks like it needs some care but that’s part of the charm of this place. Cool stone walls surround the ancient building and I suspect they were just found in the area and piled up to make the walls. The name Assonet actually means something like «the place of rocks» in the local Wampanoag language and there is certainly no shortage of them scattered around the village.
Another more modern library was built in 1947 on the other side of town but the Hathaway Library still carries on much the way in always has. You have to occasional duck, turn sideways and step over things in this place but that is part of the fun. There aren’t a lot of materials compared to most other libraries, no bathrooms and not a whole lot of room but this library certainly has it’s own unique and anachronistic charm.