Thayer Memorial Library

About

The Thayer Memorial Library, which was founded in 1863, was first called the Lancaster Town Library. In 1867/8, Lancaster built Memorial Hall, which served as a memorial for those Lancastrains who died during the Civil War and as a public library. The memorial Library was believed to be the first of its kind in the country. Over 150 years later, the Thayer Memorial Library is a source of all the collections and services one might expect in a public library. Having expanded to more than twenty thousand square feet, the Library includes meeting rooms, a museum, and a rich collection of local history and genealogy materials. Although not the first public Library in the country, the roots of the Thayer Memorial Library reach back to 1790.

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