The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-01-12

other library in the United States. Early
in 1893. under the decree of the Supreme
Court the sum of SAG, ,262.7S was ordered
paid to the Board of Trustees as arrear-
ages due them by the city. OF this $4,000
was set aside as an investment fund, hav-
I ing for its purpose the providing of a per-
manent Library building. Other monies
| for fines and accumulated interest ran the
sum up to $27,500, which was invested in
Jersey City securities as a fund for a
new home.
In 1891 the librarian. George w. Cole,
| resigned, through sickness. and Miss
Burdick was made acting librarian.
very important stage was now
reached in the library's history. In De-
cember, 1896, Dr. Gordon. in his report,
said
"Our library has far outgrown its pres
ent quarters and the problem of the
proper disposal of its contents is diff
cult one. Our overcrowded condition has
necessitated the erection of temporary
stacks and shelves in the cellar It
was clear A new home was needed. So
the trustees purchased Nos. 2s6 and 2sS
Montgomery street, with adjacent prop
erty on Jersey avenue, for $50, 75O in cash.
were bought for $500, and house on
Jersey avenue for 5000 by condemna-
tion. To condemn this land the Court APP
pointed Messrs. E. f. C. Young, C. J..
| Cronan and Colonel J. j. Toffey. Thus
the entire site, covering $4,000 square
feet, embracing the entire frontage be-
tween Montgomery and Mercer streets,
with an average depth OF SO feet, cost
l 1i- 10 ha 10
One thing ought to be prominently re-
membered, and that is these purchases
| were made without any cost to the city
other than the annual appropriation fol
library purposes, and the sum paid by the
| trustees was the fund of which mention
has been made, together with arrearages
fines, interest and so forth. In 1885,
changes were made in the Board of Trus-
tees, Mayor Hoos appointing John J
Voonhees and James Luby to fill vacan-
cies.
Early in the year the Board of Finance
| at the request of the Trustees, author
lied the issue of $150.0eO of bonds for the
new Free Libray building, and these bonds
were sold in September, 1898, which
brought good premiums
The Board of Trustees next step was
/ to consult P. A. D. F. Hamlin, of Colum-
bia University, who is an authority or
| architectural matters, and he was ap-
| pointed by the Board in selecting the
plans for the new building. To every
architect in the county was given an op-
/ portunity to compete. In all forty-sever
plans were submitted, and the committee
to award the prize consisted of Mr.
/ George B. Post, president of the Ameri-
can Institute of Architects; Mr.. Bruce
Price president of the Architecture
/ League, and Mr.. Hamlin. They gave the
most thorough attention to their work
| and finally awarded the prize to Brite &
Bacon, of No. Ill Fifth avenue, New York
City, whose design today stands en-
| bodied in brick and stone on Jersey ave-
| nue..
/ In April, 1899, bids were opened for the
erection of the new building. Sixty-one
/ bids were received, and to Norcross Bros
4 of New York went the contract. Theil
bid was s2OS,1s1.
Without any frills or furbelows on the
afternoon of August 16, 1889, Mayor Hoos
i laid the cornerstone of the new Library
| The Trustees present were:-Dr. L. j
Gordon, ]. ]. Voorhees,, James Luby
and s. L. Harvey, and a few people gath
cred to witness the simple ceremony
| From that time on the building rapidly
reared it's head, and today, finished as ii
| is is a magnificent institution, beautiful
in architecture and a pride to the city OF
Jersey City.