Saturday, September 7, 2024

E. W. Morris Memorial Library

 

In 1900 a New York businessman who summered in Ridgefield, James Morris, bought land on Main Street in Ridgefield and had a library building constructed.  The building blends Art Deco, Beaux Arts and Chicago styles of architecture.  Morris dedicated it to his late wife, Elizabeth.  It opened in 1903.

Though the Morris Library has been incorporated into much bigger and more modern library buildings, four of the original rooms remain in service.

One reading room houses newspapers and magazines.

A second reading room contains the library's fine and performing arts collections.


A special collections room contains poetry, plays and literary criticism.  And an unremarkable small boardroom (not shown) is off to the side.  In a big, active, 21st century library, the rooms in the Morris Building are all designated as quiet spaces.

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