Blodgett Memorial Library opened on Sept 22, 1934 in a fieldstone building at the corner of Broad and Market Streets. There was no ceremony. FDR had been invited to speak at the dedication ceremony, but he never appeared (records show that he was in Hyde Park September 20th-25th and again November 3rd-6th, but his schedule must not have permitted a visit.) The library was a gift from Stephen W. Blodgett in memory of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Tilden Blodgett II; his brother, William Tilden Blodgett III; and his aunt, Eleanor Blodgett, who was FDR’s godmother. Mr. Blodgett (1911-1984) was only twenty-three when he donated the library. His father (b. 1856) died in 1917 and his mother (b. 1871) in 1924. He and his brother (1907-1920) were subsequently raised by their aunt (1857-1930). His grandfather, William Tilden Blodgett Sr., was a cofounder, patron, and chairman of the first executive committee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The original building was designed by architect Stuart McCall, who also designed the First Presbyterian Church in Beacon, the Beacon Elks Lodge, and the original Fishkill Protection Engine Company Firehouse. It was a two-room building designed in the Dutch Colonial Style, in which Mr. McCall specialized. The library gradually outgrew this little building (at one point, bookshelves were even placed against the windows!), so in 1974, the library purchased a building two blocks down the street, at the corner of Broad Street and Bedford Avenue. After renovations, the collection of books was passed down the street by volunteers, bucket-brigade style.
The new library location was a brick building built around 1864 by Mr. John Travis, a mason. An article in The Fishkill Journal from Thursday, April 7, 1864, says, “On Friday last Mr. Jerome Scofield bought of Mr. John Given the vacant lot on Broad Street, next east of the brick house just erected by Mr. John Travis.” John Travis is listed as the owner in both the 1867 and 1876 maps of Fishkill. During the remodeling of the building for the library, a board was found with the following inscription: “built by A.S. Cronk Jan 25, 1865.” In the 1850 census of the Town of Poughkeepsie, a John Travis, mason, can be found, along with his wife and two daughters, and a carpenter named A.J Cronk. It has been surmised that this same Mr. Cronk moved to Fishkill with Mr. Travis and helped build the house. It is logical that a mason would build a brick house and need the help of a carpenter. It is a two-story brick building with an attic, which was typical of the era. There are slightly arched frames on the windows and doors of the original section, with extant shutters. There is also a wooden Victorian-style porch.
On Sept 30, 1974, the Fishkill Library Association signed a contract to buy this house and use it as the new sight of the Blodgett Memorial Library. Prior to this purchase, the house had been owned by an Olivia H. Verne. Mrs. Verne, “a well-known authority on antique toys and miniatures,” died on Oct 10, 1974 after a long illness. She had operated an antique shop in her home and sold items exclusively to antique dealers.
Did You Know?
Several staff members claim that the library has a resident ghost. Mr. Travis, who suffered from vertigo, was rebuilding a chimney in the Fouquet House on 12 Bedford Avenue. He had been working alone in the home, removing the scaffolding, when he fell about thirty feet. No one witnessed the accident, but a passerby eventually discovered the unconscious Mr. Travis. He was taken to his own house, where he died a few hours later. Perhaps he is still around, watching over his house.
(Historical background provided by Antonia Houston, Local History Librarian.)