Discover Marlboro: Marlboro Free Library

On the site where the Marlboro Free Library currently stands, once stood a school, commonly referred to as the “Old School House.” From 1860-1862, the famous American Naturalist, John Burroughs and his wife Ursula, taught here. It is rumored that at the time, Burroughs was in dire need of funds. According to the Kingston Daily Freeman, the school house was completely torn down in April of 1958 and became private property, which was later donated to the Library.

In 1978, the Marlboro Free Library moved from the corner of King Street and Route 9W, and began serving the public at its current location. Prior to this location, the Library, which first received its charter in 1911, was located in the Marlboro Union Free School on the corner of Grand Street. In 1914, the Library moved into the Methodist Church Hall, which was consumed by a fire in 1915, and then relocated to the corner of King Street and Route 9W from 1921-1978. Today, the Library is part of the Mid-Hudson Library System and proudly serves the residents of the Marlboro Central School District, including the towns of Milton, Marlboro, and Middlehope. In 2021, the Marlboro Free Library will celebrate its 110th anniversary.

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Sources:

Amodeo. E., Pagnotta, J. & Cosgrove, J. (2012). Images of America: Marlborough (p. 59-61). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing.

“Town Historian Reports on Marlboro Activities.” (1959). Kingston Daily Freeman.

Mahan, M. (2002). The First Hundred Years (p. 114). Lincoln, NE: iUniverse.