History

The building that is now the Richmond Free Library was built in 1879 as a church for the Universalist Unitarian Congregation. It served as a church until 1956, when the congregation decided to disband and sell the property to Richmond resident Walter A. Griffith, who then offered the property to the Richmond School District. Richmond voters accepted the gift at the 1957 town meeting and passed a $7,000.00 bond to transform the building into a cafeteria and gymnasium. Then, in the mid 1980s, a new elementary and middle school were constructed, and the premises was no longer needed. The school district deeded the building to the town, and in 1990, voters approved a bond to renovate the building’s first floor for use as a library. The library moved from its previous location on Depot Street to the newly renovated space in 1991. Construction for the second floor and mezzanine began in June 2002 and finished in January 2003. The second floor now includes two youth libraries and a large community space with a grand piano, and the mezzanine has a lounge and three study/practice rooms.