In December 2001, two collections moved into one shingled building at 14 Union Street in South Hamilton. One came from the Hamilton Public Library, which had last been at 299 Bay Road. The other came from the Wenham Town Library. The new building had 29,000 square feet, public computers and meeting rooms, and it was planned from the start to serve both towns. The state's library annual report for fiscal year 2002 described it in its own records as a new shingle-style building serving two towns. Twenty-five years later, it is still the only arrangement of its kind in Massachusetts. From early November through December 10, the anniversary events will move back and forth across the town line.
Two Library Traditions That Reached the Same Conclusion
Each town ran its own library for more than a century before the merger. The library's published history gives the dates:
- 1817. Hamilton starts the Second Social Library, a subscription collection.
- 1853. The Second Social Library stops serving residents.
- 1857. Wenham forms the Wenham Library Association. It charges a fee, and joining costs one dollar.
- 1885. Wenham votes to create a free public library.
- 1891. Hamilton founds the Free Library of Hamilton, later the Hamilton Public Library. It moves several times before ending up at 299 Bay Road.
- March 1994. Citizens from both towns form a joint committee to look into a regional library.
- May 1995. Both towns vote to pay for a formal feasibility study.
- December 2001. The Hamilton-Wenham Public Library opens on Union Street.
The two towns followed the same path. Wenham went from a dollar-a-year association to a free library by town vote. Hamilton went from a subscription library to a free one. By the late twentieth century, the library says, both buildings were short on space while demand kept growing. Each town could have expanded on its own. Instead, a committee of residents spent more than a year studying a shared library, and both town meetings agreed to fund the next step. The library calls the result the first regional public library in the Commonwealth and "to this day the only one of its kind."
The anniversary programming reflects that choice. The library building is in South Hamilton, but most of the celebration is spread across both towns.
The Gala Is in Wenham
The Friends of the Hamilton-Wenham Library describe the anniversary as a year-long fundraiser. It ends with the 25th Anniversary Gala and Silent Auction on Friday, November 13, from 6 to 9 p.m. The gala won't be at the library. It will be at First Church in Wenham. According to the Friends' Givebutter event page, the church is at 1 Arbor Street, Wenham, and the evening includes a wine-and-beer reception with a cash bar, appetizers and desserts, silent-auction packages, entertainment and the anniversary celebration. Tickets are sold on that page and sent by email.
Residents can also take part without buying a ticket. The Friends' board is asking for event sponsorships, donated experiences, items, goods or services for the auction, and volunteers for the night. It says "every contribution is welcome, regardless of the amount." Donations of experiences, such as a tour, a meal or a service from a local business, fit a library founded by two towns pooling what they had.
The Week Before, Wenham Wildlife Comes to Hamilton
The pattern also runs the other way. On Thursday, November 5, from 6 to 7 p.m., the library's Large Meeting Room in South Hamilton hosts "The Hidden Wildlife of Cedar Pond Sanctuary." Local resident Phil Colarusso will show trail-camera footage and photographs from the Wenham sanctuary. They include bobcats, coyotes, foxes, fishers, mink, deer and river otters, which the event listing calls animals "that are rarely seen, but happen to be your neighbors." Registration is required through the library's November calendar.
So the talk is held in Hamilton and is about animals living in Wenham, for an audience from both towns. One week later, the gala takes Hamilton residents to Arbor Street. Since 2001, a library card here has worked the same way, ignoring the town line.
One week after the wildlife talk, on Thursday, November 12, from 6 to 7 p.m., the library hosts a tea tasting and blending workshop with Jolie Tea Company at 14 Union Street. Registration is required. The next night is the gala in Wenham.
November 4 to December 10, Two Towns, One Calendar
The table includes the library's anniversary dates, the programs around them and two Wenham Museum events from the same weeks. Times come from each organization's published calendar, so check the linked pages before you go, and register where it's required.
| Date | Event | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed., Nov. 4 | Free First Wednesday, 4 to 6 p.m. | Wenham Museum, Wenham | Free admission and extended hours |
| Thu., Nov. 5 | The Hidden Wildlife of Cedar Pond Sanctuary, 6 to 7 p.m. | Library, South Hamilton | Registration required |
| Wed., Nov. 11 | Veterans Day celebration with Touch-a-Truck | Wenham Museum, Wenham | Crane truck and a Sherman tank replica |
| Thu., Nov. 12 | Jolie Tea Company tasting and blending, 6 to 7 p.m. | Library, South Hamilton | Registration required |
| Fri., Nov. 13 | 25th Anniversary Gala and Silent Auction, 6 to 9 p.m. | First Church, 1 Arbor Street, Wenham | Tickets via Givebutter |
| Thu., Dec. 3 | Opening Chapter Night, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. | Library, South Hamilton | Drop-in, no registration |
| Thu., Dec. 10 | Felted ornament workshop for adults, 6 to 7:30 p.m. | Library, South Hamilton | Advance registration, limited space |
The two Wenham Museum dates fill the gaps in the library schedule. On the first Wednesday of each month, the museum is free from 4 to 6 p.m. Its events page lists the model train gallery, vintage toy collections and hands-on history exhibits for after school or after work. On November 11, the museum hosts a Veterans Day family celebration with a Touch-a-Truck, crafts and storytime. Regular hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum is closed Sunday through Tuesday.
Opening Chapter Night Starts the Next Four Months
The gala ends the Friends' fundraising year, and the library's own celebration starts three weeks later. Opening Chapter Night: A 25th Anniversary Open House Celebration is on Thursday, December 3, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the library's Large Meeting Room. It's a drop-in event with refreshments, brief remarks, a photo booth, children's crafts and displays of historic photos. No registration is needed.
The library's December calendar says the evening will "kick off four months of celebrations" that look back at the first 25 years and toward "the next chapter." More anniversary events are planned for the new year, and the library calendar is the place to watch for them. The historic photo displays may be the most interesting part for longtime residents, since the building is only 25 years old and the two library traditions it combined date to 1817 and 1857.
A week later, on Thursday, December 10, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., the library holds a felted ornament workshop for adults. Space is limited, and advance registration is required.
Mark these dates if you live in either town. The Cedar Pond talk and the tea workshop take place in South Hamilton. The gala is in Wenham. Opening Chapter Night brings everyone back to Union Street for the start of the anniversary's next stretch.
At Nest | Syndi Zaiger Group, we follow Hamilton and Wenham through places like 14 Union Street and First Church on Arbor Street. If you'd like to talk about how these two towns share their civic life, or what that means for your own plans here, we'd be glad to hear from you. Contact Us.
