Welcome to the Caledonia Library!! We are located in the village of Caledonia NY and are a member of the OWWL Library System.
Librarian: Renate Goff
The Caledonia Library Association has great pride in our building and its history. In November 2007, we were listed on the registry for the State Historic Preservation, and a month later we were placed on the National registry. This is one of the earliest surviving residences in the village, and is an outstanding example of cut stone, Federal Style residential architecture. We are proud to have our building on the historic registries.
A brief history of the building:
The original building, where the circulation desk is located, was built around 1826 by General Gad Blakeslee and uses load bearing stones taken from the quarry on Quarry Road.
The Blakeslee house was more than just a home; it was also where he ran a shop, and, as he was the town postmaster, cared for the mail.
In 1910, and the trustees of the Ladies Circulating Library purchased the Blakeslee’s residence for a price of $2200.
Initially, the library was housed in what is currently known as the children’s room, with the other rooms rented to the Tri County Gas Company.
The matter of enlarging the library to include the room now occupied by the Gas Company was discussed in 1919. Also discussed were various repairs and “the putting in of a toilet.”
It is interesting to note that in our library records dated 18 years later, there were “several meetings pertaining to repairs and remodeling….which called for …. necessary improvements, including adding a toilet.
These repairs were achieved by 1938.
Throughout this building’s history, it has housed many things. It started as a home, which grew to include a store, apothecary, bank and post office. It has housed a gas company under the same roof as a young library. It has seen the Caledonia Fair rent space in the building, and sheltered the Red Cross as they rolled bandages in the back room during WWI and upstairs during WWII.
We are hopeful that our future in this building will be as interesting as its past. As a public building, it has been cared for and much loved over the years.