Brief History of the Yarmouth Library

The concept of a free lending library was unknown in the early days of Yarmouth. The first library, the Yarmouth Book Society established in 1822, was one of private subscription with books available only to paying members. In those days books were rare and very expensive. In 1872, Mr. L. E. Baker placed a large collection of 2500 books and curiosities in an upper floor of his building on Central Street as a Free Library for the use of the people of Yarmouth. It was opened on February 6, 1872 and was open to the public once a week.

In 1904 the library was incorporated as the Yarmouth Public Library and Museum and moved to the Eakins Block on Main Street in 1905. From 1932 until 1944 the Library was housed in the rented quarters of the old YMCA building where a considerable collection of museum artifacts was acquired in addition to the books.

After the fire of 1944, the books were moved into a small vacant store on John Street belonging to John Pitman. Many of the museum pieces were stored in the old Academy and were lost in the fire that destroyed the building a few years later. The store was vacated when the Library bought the old Richards house on Collins Street and the collection was relocated there.

The land behind the cenotaph was designated for a new library as early as 1944 by the Town council with the stipulation that the Library find the money for a new building. In 1961 the Killam sisters, Miss Constance Killam and Mrs. Elizabeth Rodgers offered to donate the funds for a new library building in memory of their late brother Izaak Walton Killam. This native son of Yarmouth had, during his lifetime, risen to prominence in Canadian and International business, industry and finance.

The final plans for the building were drawn in 1962 by J. Phillip Dumaresq & Associates of Halifax and called for a one storey, brick veneer building with full length windows on portions of the east and south sides. The main floor of the Library was to be 109 feet wide by 50 feet deep and contain the main book stacks and reception area. Attached to the south end of this, out in front, was an area thirty three feet by twenty feet to contain a small kitchen and meeting room. To the rear of the large main section was an area forty five feet by twenty five feet for the administration offices and a staff lounge. The basement areas were the same size with the large area being used for storage, arts and crafts and story telling.

The new building was opened in June, 1963 and the keynote speaker was Premier Robert L. Stanfield. In 1969, the Yarmouth Library became the first library of the newly organized Western Counties Regional Library and the basement became the working area of the Western Counties Regional Library and administrative offices. Situated behind the Library building is the Memorial Wall, landscaped with shrubs and flowers in summer, first erected in part by the Rotary Club of Yarmouth in 1923 and completed in 1973. It lists all the known graves of the old town cemetery. A triangular, level addition contains the remnants of all stones with any visible printing on them.

In 1991, an addition was built to accommodate the expanding needs of the Western Counties Regional Library. There is a centre courtyard containing the Caie Fountain. Cast in iron in 1876, it was built by the J.W. Fiske Company of New York City for Mr. and Mrs. Robert Caie for their new home on Vancouver Street, and was later donated to the library. It has an eight foot diameter base encrusted with frogs and turtles. The center column is topped with a smaller bowl which is held up with three recumbent bitterns, their beaks in a downward position. The thrust of the water display is through an upright bittern with its beak in a raised vertical position, wings outstretched. The courtyard is landscaped with flowers in summer and contains a Japanese Maple Tree dedicated to the memory of Frances Goudey, long time Trustee and Secretary to the Board. The Reading Room or Reference Room as it is now called was added later as a memorial to benefactors Miss Constance Killam and Mrs. Elizabeth Rodgers.

405 rue Main · Yarmouth, N-É · B5A 1G3 · Tél: 902-742-2486 · Télec: 902-742-6920 · Courriel: ansy@nsy.library.ns.ca