The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-27
Built, Equipped, and Given to tho Town BY
Mr.. Collis II. Huntington.

When Peter c. Van Schaick Of West Chester
died some ten years ago provision in his will
ordered his executors to spend $4,000 in the
erection OF n building and to present the build
ing to the town OF West Chester for public
library.
A piece OF land go by 100 feet was purchased
on the main street. facing st. Peters Church.
and q handsome one-story brick and stucco
building was put'up. 1t was Gothic-roofed and
the main room ran the whole length Of the
building. The entrance hall and coat rooms
took up half the front width. and the corre-
spending portion of the rear was arranged for
the accommodation Of books and maps and the
other kalf-hundred things that go to complete
wcll-equipped library.
Then tho executors formally presented the
building to the town trustees. and the trustees
as formally refused to accept 1t. Mr.. Van
Schaick's bequest made no allowance for the
maintenance Of tho library or for supply OF
books. and tho trustees had no use for an
empty building that would tax the citizens for
its support The executors under the will had
no power to divert any, OF the money left by Mr..
Van Schaick TO other charities to the use 81 tho
library and 80 the matter stood The building
When the building hsi sto9d emPty and use
ss for Aye MI cos and pra
a free library TO tho town. The executors II
Mr.. Van Schaick. under legal advlce, accepted
Mr.. Huntington's offer. and parted with the
money they received was added TO a fund that
Mr.. Van Schaick had left for charitable pur-
poses. Then Mr. Huntington got to work. Hs
bought the en|lre block OF land on which the
original building stood. and accepted plans for
the erection OF a building half AZ big again as
riod forward. books were purchased in Europe
and elsewhere. and when The. building will be
presented to the town and formally opened
some day next month it Will be complete in
The West Chester Library and Reading
Room" rs it Is described in letters Of gold on a
tablet Of brown stone over tho entrance. stands
eighty yards long and forty yards, deep. Tall
iron ratings cut of the street and run around
the buildings about twenty feet from II. Mr..
Huntington originally intended to plant shade
trees and let tho visitors 10 tho library tako
their books and sit ont In the .Pcn air, but the
his mind. tagged walk from the sidewalk
through u neatly sodded front yard leads to the
big entrance, whore swinging doors open into
the main hall. One door from the hall leads to
the stairs to IA storeroom for periodicals. An
other door opens into correspondence room.
Furnished In light. oak and lighted by eight
large windows. this room runs the entire
length OF the building. eighty -fyo feet. with
breadth OF twenty five feet. Folding doors. to
be closed only on particular occasions, divide
the room. The space that in front Is taken up
voted in the rear to the book shelves; 5000
books are now on tho shelves. and great
many more are expected to arrive from
Europe within the next ten days, On the floor
above the book room are the living rooms OF
the librarian. tho Eey. Ebenezah Nisbet, and his