SOUTH HOPEDALE BRANCH LIBRARY                                                  By Betty A. Butcher On March 6, 1903 the first branch library in South Hopedale opened at the home of Mrs. Annie E. Smith, wife of Arthur F. W. Smith. They resided at 267 South Main Street. After having the library for five months, Mrs. Smith moved from town and Miss Angeline Dewing, who resided on Hartford Avenue just off South Main Street, took it over until 1904. After a short period of time with Miss Dewing, the branch was temporarily closed. It reopened in 1910, back in the home of Mrs. Smith. Books from the main library were periodically rotated, and also during this period of time books were sent down to the South Hopedale grammar school which was located at 50 Plain Street. The building is now the home of Norman and Christina Lussier. (It’s next to the South Hopedale Cemetery.) Mrs. Smith was the South Hopedale Branch librarian from March 1903 until August 1904, and then from September 1910 until she passed away in January 1924. On February 1, 1924 Miss Adeline A. Caldwell became the new branch librarian. The library was located at 1 Warfield Street, in the home now occupied by Paul and Rosemary Blatz. For fifty weeks of each year Miss Caldwell opened her home every Thursday so that residents living in the southern part of Hopedale might borrow books, periodicals and have the use of reference volumes. Every so many weeks, books, both adult and children’s, were exchanged with the main Bancroft Memorial Library in the center of Hopedale so that the branch was kept up to date on the latest arrivals plus revolving of the older selections. Miss Caldwell held this position for the next 25 years, retiring February 1, 1949. At this time her neighbor, Mrs. Constance “Connie” Jones, living at 2 Mellen Street, became the new branch librarian. She kept Thursdays as branch library day. Connie remained the librarian for the next 14 years until her retirement on July 1, 1963. Connie, as she was known to all, welcomed organized groups of children such as the Campfire Girls or a Boy Scout Troop to her quaint home that was built in 1735. This home was crammed with lore - silver spoons imprinted with Indian symbols and a showplace of her many souvenirs from foreign countries. Connie loved the many story hours she had for the younger children who were unable to enjoy the ones uptown at the Bancroft Memorial Library due to no transportation. Very few families owned two cars and you could safely walk the back roads and South Main Street during this period of time. Connie, having known me practically since I was born, knew I enjoyed reading, meeting people, was home raising two children and resided at 364A South Main Street, which in her opinion would be an ideal central location for the branch library. Therefore, on August 1, 1963, I was appointed the new branch librarian by the trustees of the Bancroft Memorial Library. For the next ten years I enjoyed being the librarian, with the branch being open now every Tuesday. During this period of time I met and was associated with many wonderful adult readers, children of the neighborhood and their parents, exchanging books with patients at Hopedale Garden Nursing Home who enjoyed reading, and exchanging reading materials with families that had a homebound child or parent who resided in the South Hopedale area. My brother-in-law, Butch, made me a beautiful wooden BRANCH LIBRARY sign that was installed at the entrance to our driveway. This sign was used by many of the residents in this area on South Main Street for years as a guide, until one day we noticed that it had been stolen. By this time and since most everyone down in South Hopedale knew where the branch library was, I never replaced the sign. On September 1, 1973, I resigned as the branch librarian. I was now employed by the Milford Area Visiting Nurse Association, and even though the library was only one day a week I had to leave my teenage daughters in charge until I got home and this wasn’t to my liking. The same day I resigned, the library trustees appointed Mrs. Elizabeth “Bess” Thayer of 25 Warfield Street the new South Hopedale branch librarian. Bess held this position until the branch library was closed on June 30, 1977 due to a decline in readership of all age groups. The elementary students have a library in the Memorial School, the older students have a library in the High School and now with most families living in this area having two cars, access to the main library in town was not a problem. Also many preschoolers in this day and age have their own preschool library at home plus are able to be transported to the main library for books or story hours. Most of this information for this account of the South Hopedale Branch Library was obtained from researching yearly editions of the librarians reports as shown in the yearly Hopedale Town Reports. Also information was obtained from the U S Census of 1900, 1910 and 1920. Betty later sent me the following about the locations Now about those pictures. 267 South Main Street where the first library was, was later John and Lucy DeLuca's house.  Do not know the people living there now.  Paul Blatz's house (1 Warfield Street - Adeline Caldwell) is still intact, but Connie Jones's house has been town down and a new larger house built on its site.  Of course I'm still here and Bess Thayer's is on Warfield Street.  The second branch that Miss Dewing had I think is the house on Hartford Avenue right after the old Green Store on the corner that is now a church.  It's where the Smalls live at 140 Hartford Avenue, Hopedale   Town Departments Menu      History of South Hopedale      Bancroft Library         HOME