The Bigelow Free Public Library is named in honor of Erastus Brigham Bigelow, its greatest benefactor. Originally known as the Bigelow Mechanics Institute, it was founded in 1846, as a subscription library. The name evolved to the Bigelow Public Library, with its collection housed, at various times, in several municipal buildings.
The present site, at the corner or Walnut and Church Street, became available when the land was donated to the town. The home of Dr. Samuel Morse, the town's first physician, was auctioned off, piece by piece, including the fence boards. Once the land was vacant, the site was ready for construction of the Bigelow Free Public Library, through a grant from the Carnegie Foundation.
The library building has remained basically unchanged since its dedication in 1903. It is located across the street from the town hall and Central Park, in the geographic center of the town. [From the website]
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