Peabody Institute Library of Danvers

Library History

In December 1856, George Peabody, an American banker and philanthropist from Danvers, MA, donated $10,000 for the establishment of a library branch in town. The following year, a 4 ½ acre plot of land near Town Hall was sold to the Town for $4,000 to house the library. In 1866, Peabody allowed the branch to become independent and gave an additional $40,000.

A Gothic style library building was built at Peabody Park in 1869 with the aim of “promoting knowledge and morality” in Danvers. However, a fire destroyed it in 1890; its insurance loss totaled $23,622. The trustees appropriated money for another building’s construction which opened in 1892 with a 1,100 capacity auditorium occupying its second floor. Further renovations occurred in 1963 and 1980.

The Georgian Revival building has a low truncated hipped roof with surrounding balustrade and granite foundation siding flush board walls. The Sylvan St. facade has a balconial entry portico (now enclosed as a reading area) while side facades have two story elliptical porticos with Ionic support columns on their second floor. There is also much ornamentation on its upper level including Palladian windows with fanlight and tracery as well as arched windows with swags and Ionic pilasters and columns.