Library
History
The
Mount Holly Library, originally known
as The Bridgetown Library, was chartered
on June 11, 1765 by His Majesty George
III of England, through William Franklin,
then Governor-General of New Jersey.
Bridgetown was the original name of
Mount Holly, so named because of the
many bridges crossing the Rancocas Creek.
The library is the fifth oldest in the
state.
The
original collection, of about 100 books
of scholarly and moral instruction,
is part of the present Lyceum Collection,
along with the actual charter document.
Books were purchased by members of the
library association and were circulated
only among the members. Fiction books
were deemed improper and were not allowed.
The Library was located in the Town
Hall until 1798 when the building was
torn down. This was to be the first
of many moves that the Library would
make.
In
1860 the Library was officially renamed
The Burlington County Lyceum of History
and Natural Sciences. A membership group
of 26 men each paid $5 for a share of
stock and annual dues of $1. The purpose
of this society was to pursue the study
of state history and to cultivate the
natural sciences.
Sixteen
years later, in 1876, the Lyceum established
a circulating library open to the public
for a fee. In 1882 the Lyceum received
an endowment from the estate of Nathan
Dunn, a Mount Holly resident. This included
his private library and a sum of $10,600.
The Dunn Collection is part of the Lyceum
Collection today.
In
1921 the Lyceum joined the newly formed
County Library System and became a free
lending library open to the residents
of Mount Holly. A fundraising campaign
was launched in 1957 to purchase the
Langstaff Mansion at 307 High Street
for the Library's permanent home. The
Board of Trustees of the Lyceum manages
the operation of the Mount Holly Library.
The Library currently receives funding
from municipal aid, public contributions,
and fundraisers.
Mansion
History
Langstaff
Mansion
circa 1830
In 1829, James Langstaff
began construction on his home, which
he called "Langleland," a
Welsh term meaning "a foot of high
ground." The house was designed
in an elegant Georgian fashion.
The mansion was "L" shaped,
with a foyer separating the four main
rooms, each having a fireplace made
of Prussian blue marble. Two antique
chandeliers, one brass and the other
silver, each covered with more than
2000 crystal baubles and drops, hang
in the two main rooms. A large kitchen
was located in the back with a summer
kitchen located behind it (now used
as the Library Office).
The mansion was built
with random-width North Carolina yellow
pine floor boards, put together with
handmade nails. (The Friends of the
Library donated carpeting to prevent
further wear to the boards.) Wide pine
boards were used in the ornate baseboards
and door frames throughout the house.
The outside walls are made of brick,
covered with a pale yellow stucco. Over
the front entry are hand-painted glass
panels.
The two and one-half acres
of land that surround the mansion originally
featured old English boxwood gardens,
lovely trees, and large attractive flower
beds.
When the property was
purchased by the Mount Holly Library
in 1957, some renovation was necessary
to convert this private residence into
a public building. In order to preserve
the 19th century charm of the buildings
and grounds, the library only made those
alterations necessary to accommodate
books and materials and to increase
lighting facilities. With its duty to
provide modern library service to the
public, alterations will continue to
be made. The goal remains to achieve
a balance between modern day needs and
elegant old world atmosphere.
