Friday, October 3, 2014

Public Library Interior, Beach Haven, New Jersey

[LIB11130] Probably the 1920s.

In 1923 Mrs. Walter Pharo, in memory of her husband’s parents, Archelaus Ridgway Pharo and Louisa Willits Pharo - the founders of Beach Haven, and of her late husband Walter, presented the board of the library with a proposal to build, entirely at her own expense, a new library for the town two blocks away from the church on a corner lot owned by her at Third and Beach.  It was accepted immediately.  R. Brognard Okie, one of Philadelphia’s finest architects, was contacted by Mrs. Pharo.  He chose as his model a Pennsylvania farm house - not an early lifesaving station as has often been said. [Website]

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