Thomas Crane Public Library

The Thomas Crane Public Library (TCPL) is a city library in Quincy, Massachusetts. It is noted for its architecture. It was funded by the Crane family as a memorial to Thomas Crane, a wealthy stone contractor who got his start in the Quincy quarries.[3] The Thomas Crane Library has the second largest municipal collection in Massachusetts after the Boston Public Library.

Thomas Crane Public Library
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
The original building (1882), front view, architect H. H. Richardson
Location	Quincy, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°15′6″N 71°0′4″W
Built	1881
Architect	Henry Hobson Richardson
Architectural style	Richardsonian Romanesque
NRHP reference No.	72000143[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 18, 1972
Designated NHL	December 23, 1987

Wollaston Branch, Thomas Crane Public Library
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
The Wollaston Branch
Location	41 Beale St., Quincy, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°16′0.44″N 71°1′4.48″W
Area	0.2 acres (0.081 ha)
Built	1922
Architect	William Chapman
Architectural style	Classical Revival
MPS	Quincy MRA
NRHP reference No.	89001316[2]
Added to NRHP	September 20, 1989

In fiscal year 2008, the city of Quincy spent 1.41% ($2,690,878) of its budget on the library—some $29 per person.[4]

Architecture

The Thomas Crane Public Library was built in four stages: the original building (1882) by architect H. H. Richardson; an additional ell with stack space and stained glass (1908) by William Martin Aiken in Richardson's style; a major expansion (1939) by architects Paul A. and Carroll Coletti, with stone carvings by sculptor Joseph Coletti of Quincy; and a recent addition (2001) by Boston architects Childs, Bertman, and Tseckares, which doubled the size of the library. H. H. Richardson considered this library among his most successful civic buildings, and Harper's Weekly called it "the best village library in the United States". The library was ranked 43rd in a national poll conducted in 2007 by the American Institute of Architects of the favorite buildings in the nation.

In addition to its architecture, the original building contains a 30 × 10 inch stained-glass window by noted American artist John LaFarge in memory of Thomas Crane, entitled the Old Philosopher. To the left of the elaborate carved fireplace is a second LaFarge window, "Angel at the Tomb", given in memory of Crane's son Benjamin Franklin Crane. The library's grounds were designed by landscaper Frederick Law Olmsted.

The main library was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987, recognizing it as one of Richardson's finest library buildings.[5]

Branches

By 1910 there were two "reading rooms," one in the Atlantic neighborhood on Atlantic Street and one in West Quincy. By the 1920s the system had expanded to nine branches in all, adding ones near the Parker Elementary School and the Furnace Brook Parkway, and ones in the Squantum, South Quincy, Wollaston and Quincy Point neighborhoods. Municipal budget cutbacks in 1981 slashed the number to just three besides the main building: the Wollaston branch (1922), which is listed separately on the National Register of Historic Places, the North Quincy branch (1963) on Hancock Street near North Quincy High School, and the Adams Shore branch (1970) on Sea Street in Hough's Neck.

Community

The library often hosts concerts, lectures and art exhibitions.[6][7] There are also private rooms available for use free of charge to the public or to small community organizations.[8] Also, the library hosts Quincy's local public-access television cable TV channel, QATV.

Thomas Crane Public Library provides services and resources that aid the disabled community. The Main Branch features handicap parking, elevators to all floors, as well as aisles and sit-down computer terminals that accommodate wheelchairs and those with disabilities. For those that are blind or visually impaired: the public use computers feature large print keyboards. Handheld magnifiers are available at the Reference Desk, and Braille books are available through interlibrary loan.[9]

See also

• Thomas Crane Public Library website
• List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Quincy, Massachusetts

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
3. Paula D. Watson. Carnegie Ladies, Lady Carnegies: Women and the Building of Libraries. Libraries & Culture, Vol. 31, No. 1, Reading & Libraries I (Winter, 1996)
4. July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008; cf. The FY2008 Municipal Pie: What’s Your Share? Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Board of Library Commissioners. Boston: 2009. Available: Municipal Pie Reports Archived 2012-01-23 at the Wayback Machine
5. "NHL nomination for Thomas Crane Public Library". National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-02-22.
6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-12-11. Retrieved 2010-08-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2010-08-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
8. http://thomascranelibrary.org/aboutus/policies/meetingroompolicy.shtml%5B%5D
9. http://thomascranelibrary.org/about/disability-services

External links

• Thomas Crane Public Library Website
• Thomas Crane Library Quincy, Massachusetts: Dedication October 14, 2001
• Quincy Access Television

• 
  Side view, showing 1908 extension to the rear.
• 
  Interior view of original building, with fireplace and "Angel at the Tomb".
• 
  Interior with original details by Richardson.
• 
  Interior view of 1908 addition by Aiken.