Catskill Public Library to celebrate 125 years

CATSKILL―The year was 1901. The inaugural Nobel Prizes were awarded. The powered vacuum cleaner was patented. Walt Disney was born. President William McKinley was assassinated. The Texas oil boom began. And construction of the Catskill Public Library commenced at 1 Franklin Street.

On Saturday, October 24, the library will celebrate 125 years to the day that the cornerstone of its distinctive neoclassical building was laid. The community is invited to join in festivities honoring the library’s past, present and future.

“For 125 years, generations of Catskill residents have come through these doors to read, learn, gather, solve problems, and connect with their community,” said Christopher Leary, director of the Catskill Public Library & Palenville Branch.

“Libraries have changed tremendously since 1901, and they will continue to change, but that core role will endure,” he said.

The red brick structure is undeniably a historical treasure, but Leary says what makes it especially valuable is that it remains a busy, working public building.

Its construction was made possible with a grant from American steel magnate Andrew Carnegie who gave some $56 million to build 2,509 public libraries, including more than 1,600 across the United States.

“Public libraries have always been places for curiosity, lifelong learning, self-improvement, and practical support—somewhere people can pursue an interest, learn a skill, find information, or discover something new on their own terms,” Leary said, adding that he sometimes thinks of the public library as a “Parks & Recreation Department for the Mind.”

The free day of history, music, food, art and celebration runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  

Greene County Historian Jonathan Palmer and local historian Ted Hilscher will take guests back in time with a presentation and slideshow exploring the library’s earlier years and what Catskill was like in the early 1900s.

Artist Jim Ebersole will unveil a brand-new oil painting of the library and limited-edition library cards featuring the piece will be available while supplies last.

Brunch buffet bites will be provided by Gracie’s, along with desserts from Banana Moon Baking. There will be party favors, kids’ activities and live music by The Catskill Mountain String Band.

Visual displays will showcase the library’s history and offer a glimpse of major renovations ahead.  

“The project will improve accessibility and life safety, modernize building systems, and renew library spaces while preserving the historic character of the Carnegie building,” said Leary.

“The goal is not to change what this building is, but to ensure it can continue serving—and better serve—that evolving role for generations to come,” he said.

The two-phase, multimillion-dollar project is supported by library reserves and several state awards, including a $1 million Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and $1,469,000 from the Village’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) award, among other sources.

“We are now well into the design process and recently received our latest design development package. Current planning anticipates bidding and contractor selection in the new year, with construction beginning in late spring 2027 and continuing into 2029, subject to final design, regulatory review, bidding, and construction conditions,” Leary explained.

The anniversary celebration will provide an opportunity for public feedback on the plans, he noted.

“We also expect to hold a bond anticipation note vote in the coming months, asking the public to authorize bridge financing for the nearly $3 million already secured for the project,” Leary said.

For the library, the renovations will be a new chapter in its history―but certainly not its last.

“That is why October 24 feels so fitting,” said Leary. “We’ll be celebrating the laying of the cornerstone in 1901 while showing the community the new ‘cornerstones’ we have planned to carry that legacy into the next 125 years.”