By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — Flint Memorial Hall celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. The building was erected on land purchased in 1874 by Harriet N. Flint “located on the west end of the island formed by Park and Bow Streets.” It was dedicated in 1875 in memory of her husband, Charles Flint. Mrs. Flint donated both the land and building to the town “as an expression of my regard for the Town of North Reading” for use as the town’s library.
According to an article on the library’s history written by Mary Rubenstein, Flint Memorial Hall was “the largest, most elegant, and most modern building North Reading had ever seen.” The Flint Library of North Reading was located in the southeast corner of the building from 1875 to 1958, Rubenstein’s article notes. The building also served many other functions for the town, most notably as the Town Hall from 1875 to 1988, when Town Hall was moved to its present location in the former Marea J. Murphy School on North Street.
From 1958 to 1991, the library was housed across the street in the former Whitcomb House [originally the Damon Tavern], which had been purchased by the town and renamed the “Weeks Memorial Building” in honor of its benefactor, the late William W. Weeks.
In April 1989, Town Meeting approved extensive renovations to Flint Memorial Hall to convert the building into a modern library. This included the large addition to the rear of the structure, where the Community Activity Room, additional restrooms, and conference rooms are located. It also included the addition of the elevator on the Bow Street side of the building, to enable all patrons and staff to access all levels. The Flint Memorial Library was re-dedicated in the fall of 1991.
Celebration to be postponed
Unfortunately, the elevator has been out of service since June and is in need of extensive repairs, which are proposed to be addressed at October Town Meeting. Earlier this week, the staff of the Flint Memorial Library made the difficult decision to postpone the 150th birthday festivities that had been in the planning stages for several months and has released the following statement:
“…While we had hoped to hold a celebratory event this fall, we’ve chosen to postpone the festivities until our elevator upgrades are complete, ensuring that every resident has the opportunity to experience the full beauty and accessibility of our library at its very best. We can’t wait to welcome the community to see what we’ve accomplished together; and to celebrate 150 years of shared stories, learning, and progress!”
Updates on the rescheduled birthday event will be publicized as soon as they are known, so stay tuned!