History of Sanford's Library
See also:
♦ Our online photo album for more pictures from our past.
♦ Planned Giving to support the future of Goodall Library.
The first effort toward a public library in Sanford was made in the late 1870s. Thomas Goodall erected a small building on School Street with the intention that it would be used as a library, but there was insufficient interest in his project, so the structure was used for another purpose.
By the mid-1890s, a group of young gentlemen, including Edward H. Emery and Bentley Aveyard, along with the women of the Literary Guild (later called the Searchlight Club), began promoting the establishment of a library. On June 18, 1898, the Sanford Library Association was organized in order to provide library service for the people of Sanford.
Mr. Goodall, the first President of the association, allowed his School Street propert (pictured) to be used as a home for the library. It opened for the circulation of books on December 31, 1898. Over eighty individuals held membership in the organization, each paying two dollars a year for the use of the books. Mr. Aveyard was the first librarian.
On June 1, 1900, the library became a free public institution, accessible to the general public; in 1901, the town of Sanford began allocating money to support it.
The library remained on School Street until 1937, when a beautiful new brick colonial-style building became its home. Given to the town of Sanford by Dr. and Mrs. Harvey D. Thornburg, the library was named in honor of Mrs. Thornburg’s father (pictured at left - photo courtesy of Sanford Springvale Historical Society).
Louis Bertrand Goodall (1851-1935, son of Thomas Goodall) was a prominent citizen of Sanford, and a Member of Congress from 1917-1921.
At the town meeting of December 6 and 7, 1937, the new library building was accepted by the people in accordance with the terms of the gift: that it be forever kept and maintained by the inhabitants of the town of Sanford as a public library for the inhabitants therein. In addition, the town voted, in accordance with the desires of Dr. and Mrs. Thornburg, that the administration of the affairs, building and grounds of the library be delegated to the Sanford Library Association.
Shortly after the new structure was opened, the library embarked upon a new venture. The first branches of the library in the various public and parochial schools of Sanford were established in 1938. Within three years, all schools had been offered this service, and most had accepted it. By 1968, when these branches were discontinued, the total school circulation had reached almost one million transactions.
The Carpentier Branch Library was opened in 1950 to better serve the needs of the residents of the east side of Sanford. The facility, first located in the field house at Carpentier Park, was moved to the corner of North Avenue and High Street in 1963. Due to budget cuts, the Carpentier Branch Library closed its doors forever on August 1, 1991.
Over the years the use of the library increased, along with the number of books and materials housed upon its shelves. On May 16, 1976, a major two story addition was dedicated. Constructed with town funds, it contained a children’s room, a multi-purpose section, and a combination reference and non-fiction area. Air conditioning was installed throughout the library in the 1990's.
The library's handicapped accessibility took a giant step forward in 2004 with the construction of an elevator, funded by a Community Block Development Grant and several local foundations. This improvement greatly enhanced the library's utility as a site for meetings, programs, and voting.
From 1898 until the present, the Sanford Library Association has been providing continuous library service to the people of Sanford, Springvale, and the surrounding area.
In 2007 the library applied for, and was awarded, a listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
