the other, of those purchased after the fire, and those saved in the hands of the proprietors. It also contains a list of the proprietors in 1762, including those who became such by purchasing tickets in the Lottery. There exists also a manuscript catalogue, dated October 15, 1816, which was probably after the accession of books above mentioned as having been made in that year. By this catalogue it appears that the Library then contained 194 folios and quartos, 1148 octavos, and 450 duodecimos and smaller, total 1792 volumes; and from a list appended, it appears that there were at that time 273 proprietors, owning 292 shares. The Library room mentioned above, to which the books were removed from the Council or Senate Chamber of the Court House, and where they continued to remain until merged in the Athenæum, is well remembered by most of our citizens. It was in the third story of the building owned and in part occupied by the Washington Insurance Co., and which in the year 1844 was demolished, and their present building erected on the same spot. The Providence Library had now for some years fallen into great neglect. Its affairs were very carelessly managed, and no new books were added. This led to the formation of the other institution, from which the present one derives its origin, the first Providence Athenæum, which "was incorporated by the General Assembly of Rhode Island, at its June session, 1831, and went into operation on the 18th of June of the same year. The only names mentioned in the act of incorporation are those of Cyrus Butler, John Mackie, Charles Dyer, and Richard W. Greene. Associated with these gentlemen in founding this public Library, and in subsequently conducting its affairs, were numerous others, some of whom were, at the same time, members of the Providence Library Company. From that time till its union in 1836 with the Providence Library, for the purpose of forming "an enlarged institution," suitable to the wants and creditable to the liberality and intelligence of the community, the Providence Athenæum steadily put forth all its energies for the accomplishment of the noble object which it was established to promote. Notwithstanding many circumstances adverse to its growth, it succeeded in making, if not a large, a very choice collection of books, which ultimately constituted by far the most valuable portion of the Library of the new institution, at the date of its origin. In order to show more fully who were concerned in the old Athenæum, it may not be amiss to add the names of those persons who were elected its officers on the 18th of June, 1831. They are as follows:-Tristam Burges, President; John Mackie and Frederick A. Farley, Vice-Presidents; Thomas H. Webb, Secretary; John R. Bartlett, Treasurer; Lemuel H. Arnold, Thomas Burgess, Richard J. Arnold, Thomas C. Hoppin, William T. Grinnell, Richard W. Greene, Charles Dyer, William Butler, John Taylor, and Stephen Tripp, Trustees." The terms of agreement between the two associations having been fixed upon, after many preliminary conferences and discussions between them, a notice signed by a number of our citizens was given in the papers of the city, for a public meeting of citizens generally and of the proprietors of the Providence Library and Athenæum Companies in particular, to be held at Masonic Hall on the evening of January 25, 1836, for the purpose of carrying the proposed plan into effect. Pursuant to this notice, a public meeting was held, of which Zachariah Allen was appointed chairman, and William S. Patten, Secretary. At this meeting, a draught of "an act to incorporate the Athenæum in Providence," was reported by Wm. R. Staples, and after being amended, was adopted. A committee was, at the same time, appointed to obtain signatures to a petition to be presented to the General Assembly, praying for the passage of the act of incorporation, according to the form adopted by the meeting. This petition, which was signed by a large number of our citizens, sets forth, among other facts, that the Providence Library Company, and the Providence Athenæum, "after mature deliberation, and after ineffectual attempts for a union, have severally resolved to dispose of their Libraries and dissolve their corporations, in case the Honorable Assembly would grant a new charter, for the same objects, to the corporation of each and such others as would join them in applying therefor." In accordance with this petition, an act was passed by the General Assembly at their January session, 1836, to incorporate "The Athenæum in Providence," as the new institution was termed. Quite recently, as will be seen by the amendment to the charter, the name has been changed, the necessity for the first designation, arising from the existence of the former Providence Athenæum, having long since passed away; and this institution is now legally known as the "Providence Athenæum," as in common parlance it had long been called. The act of incorporation contains the names of 283 persons, about one half of whom or their families, still remain proprietors. The first meeting of the corporation was held on Monday, Febru ary 29th, 1836, when the Constitution and a code of By-Laws were adopted, and the Library Regulations were reported and referred back to the Board of Directors, and by them amended and adopted. The first Board of Directors, the Secretary and the Treasurer were chosen at this meeting as follows, Zachariah Allen, William Jenkins, John Carter Brown, Frederick A. Farley, Thomas H. Webb, William S. Patten, Thomas B. Fenner, Owen Mason, William Butler, Amasa Manton, Stephen Tripp, John J. Stimson, Henry Anthony, Direċtors, Thomas White, Secretary, and William R. Staples, Treasurer. Of these, Amasa Manton declined serving as a Director, and William R. Staples, as Treasurer, and Thomas White, after six months of valuable and disinterested service, resigned the office of Secretary. The Board of Directors filled these vacancies by electing John R. Bartlett, a Director, Stephen Tripp, Treasurer, and Samuel W. Peckham, Secretary, and subsequently elected John Kingsbury, a Director, vice John R. Bartlett, removed from the city, and Charles F. Tillinghast, vice Stephen Tripp, elected Treasurer. At the first meeting of the Board of Directors, on the 2d of March, Moses B. Ives was elected President, and Zachariah Allen, Vice President, of the Institution. Both of these gentlemen declining to accept, John Pitman was, at a subsequent meeting, elected President, and William G. Goddard, Vice-President. These gentlemen accepted their appointments, and thus the organization of the Board of Directors was completed. On the ninth of March, a communication from Messrs. Nicholas Brown, and Moses B. and Robert H. Ives, for the estate of Thomas P. Ives, deceased, was received by the Board of Directors, offering "to furnish a lot of land opposite the Town House, at the junction of Benefit and College Streets, for the site of an edifice to be erected of stone or brick for the suitable accommodation of the Athenæum, Historical and Franklin Societies, the lot and building to be owned by the Athenæum, and the other societies to be accommodated therein upon terms to be agreed upon." They also offered, the lot being valued by them at $4000, to pay $6000 towards the erection of such a building, and $4000 towards the purchase of books for the Athenæum, making a total of $14,000, “ upon condition that the sum of $10,000 more be made up, to be applied to the same building, and $4000 more towards the purchase of books, by the subscriptions of responsible persons, (and exclusive of moneys received for shares to be sold in the Athenæum) previous to 1st of June next." This "public-spirited and munificent proposition" was accepted by the Board, by the passage of appropriate resolutions, and a committee was appointed to collect subscriptions in accordance therewith. This committee met with a cordial response on the part of our citizens, and the sum of $15,604,50, or an excess of $1604,50 above the required amount, was shortly obtained. This amount was subscribed by 196 individuals, and (a few) firms, as follows: Moses Brown.......$1,000 Candace Allen...... ..1,000 Thomas Coles. ..100 Robert Rhodes.. 100 Martin Stoddard. Samuel W. Bridgham..100 Lewis W. Clifford.. 100 George W. Steinhauer...50 Nathaniel Bishop.. .25 .50 Caleb Earle. 25 .25 .20 20 20 20 .20 .15 .15 ..15 100 Jabez Gorham.. 100 Josiah Whitaker. 100 John L. Hughes. .100 Amasa Sprague. .100 Henry A. Rogers. Samuel B. Mumford.... 100 Henry B. Lyman. Thomas C. Hoppin.....100, Mrs. Samuel G. Arnold. .100 William T. Dorrance. Samuel N. Richmond...100 George W. Taylor. Earl P. Mason. Orray Taft,. Joshua Mauran. Stephen Tripp. .100 Benjamin Dyer.. 100 Stephen Arnold, S. C. .50 James B. Dorrance. 50 James Shaw. .30 John Pettis.. Others, together with most of these, manifested their interest, and afforded their aid, by taking shares in the new institution, the price of which was fixed at the low sum of $15. The number of shares subscribed and paid for at the first opening of the books, was 291. According to the terms of agreement between the two Library Companies, the books of each were to be purchased by the new institution. For those of the Providence Library the sum of one thousand dollars was paid, and by the purchase of the shares of the Providence Athenæum at the rate of twenty-five dollars each, the books, furniture, &c. of that Library became the property of the new Athenæum. The amount of this purchase was $3925. The number of volumes purchased of the Providence Library Company, exclusive of books unbound, broken sets, &c., was 1680, and the number purchased of the Providence Athenæum was 2400, total 4080. After the terms of the purchase of the Providence Athenæum had been agreed upon, many of its stockholders consented to exchange their shares for shares in the new institution, thus adding about $700 to its funds. The preliminary arrangements having been completed, the new Library was opened to the proprietors on the 10th of October 1836, at the rooms which had been previously occupied, from its commencement, by the former Athenæum, Nos. 42 and 44 on the west side of the second story of the arcade, No. 44 being used for the Library, and the other and smaller apartment for a reading room. The Library hours were at first from 3 to 5 P. M. daily, and Samuel W. Peckham was appointed Librarian. The reading room was soon after fitted up and supplied with periodicals, and opened every evening from 6 to 9 o'clock, the Library being also accessible during same time, and Thomas P. Rodman was appointed superintendent. In January 1837, the sum of $5000 was invested in stocks of the American and Blackstone Canal Banks, and has remained a permanent fund to the present time. |