The Birth of Public Access: Hamilton’s Free Library Movement
The earliest public libraries in Canada operated primarily through subscription fees, creating significant barriers to the democratization of knowledge. This began to change near the end of the 19th century when, in 1883, taxpayer-funded free libraries started appearing in several Ontario cities.
Citizens of Hamilton soon began advocating for a public library of their own. An initial referendum in May 1885 was narrowly defeated by a vote of 1,547 to 1,358. However, after sustained public pressure, a bylaw establishing the library was finally passed on January 7, 1889, with 3,697 voting in favor and 2,030 against. A Hamilton Spectator article at the time observed, “Its opponents were, mostly, either persons of large property, who had votes in nearly every ward and voted against the by-law in every ward where they had votes, or very illiterate persons to whom the prospect of free literature offered no attractions.”
By the end of January 1889, the directors of the public library had been appointed by the city council. During their inaugural meeting on the evening of Monday, February 18th, the library board selected a building committee consisting of Adam Rutherford, Fred Walter, and F.W. Fearman.
Controversy and Compromise: Selecting the Library’s Home
After researching the public libraries of nearby Toronto, Buffalo, and Detroit, the building committee embarked upon the task of finding a suitable site for the new library. They posted an advertisement in the Hamilton Spectator requesting tenders for sites that could be rented or purchased. Following deliberation, the building committee initially selected a site on the northwest corner of Catherine and Main streets. The property, belonging to the Patterson Brothers, was operating as an ice rink at the time.
This choice immediately sparked controversy, as many Hamiltonians believed better sites could be acquired for less than the $7,250 price tag. One persistent complaint centered on the site’s proximity to factories, with concerns that the library would be constantly inundated with smoke.
The building committee stood firm on their decision until a scandal erupted. One of the lessees of the ice rink property was the Caledonian Curling Club, and word spread that Mr. Rutherford, as secretary of the curling club, stood to gain from the sale—a charge he vehemently denied. Despite the threat of a lawsuit from the Patterson Brothers, the committee was pressured to reconsider their choice. Finally, at the board meeting on April 24th, the committee abandoned the Catherine and Main location entirely and instead decided to purchase a different property next to the Centenary Church on Main Street West for the sum of $6,000.
Architectural Vision: William Stewart’s Winning Design
On May 5, a notice appeared in local papers announcing an open competition for the design of Hamilton’s new library. First place would be awarded the prestigious contract, while second and third place entries would receive $75 and $50 respectively. The competition faced immediate challenges when several architects objected to specific clauses in the distributed requirements. As a result, only three sets of plans were ultimately submitted to the committee.
Seeking impartial judgment, the committee brought in E.J. Lennox, a respected Toronto architect, to provide expert assessment. Lennox determined that the plans submitted by William Stewart were superior to the other entries. At their June 28th meeting, the library board’s building committee officially accepted Stewart’s design and commissioned him to produce the working drawings for construction.
Stewart was already a prominent architectural figure in Hamilton, having designed numerous buildings throughout the area. His reputation was such that the library board had previously consulted him on the suitability of existing structures, including the Canada Life Building and the old post office, before deciding to construct a new building specifically for library purposes.
Grand Opening: A Cultural Milestone for Hamilton
The Hamilton Public Library made its grand debut on September 16, 1890, with none other than the Earl and Countess of Aberdeen presiding over the festivities. The occasion drew an impressive crowd of approximately 800 guests, each paying 25 cents for the privilege of witnessing this cultural milestone. The air was filled with celebratory music as the Thirteenth Battalion Band performed a selection of pieces, setting a festive tone for the momentous occasion.
The library didn’t waste any time fulfilling its purpose—just three days later, on September 19th, its doors opened to the public and the first books were distributed to eager readers. The new intellectual hub opened with an impressive collection of 15,000 volumes, though the thoughtfully designed building could accommodate up to 45,000 books as the collection grew.
Visitors to the library discovered a thoughtfully organized space featuring a general reading room and a separate reference section for more scholarly pursuits. In keeping with Victorian sensibilities, a ladies’ reading room provided a dedicated space for female patrons. The building’s cultural significance extended beyond literature, as the second floor housed the Hamilton Art School, creating a comprehensive center for learning and artistic expression in the heart of the city.
Carnegie’s Gift: Hamilton’s Library Evolution
The original library building quickly became a victim of its own success. As Hamilton’s literary appetite grew, the library’s collections expanded at a remarkable pace. Within just two decades of opening, the facility was already approaching capacity, and citizens were demanding greater investments in their intellectual resources.
Hamilton’s municipal budget, already stretched thin by various civic obligations, simply couldn’t accommodate the replacement of the existing facility. Salvation arrived in the form of Scottish-American industrialist Andrew Carnegie, whose philanthropic vision would transform the city’s literary landscape.
In his later years, Carnegie dedicated himself to distributing his vast fortune for the public good. A cornerstone of his philanthropy was funding library construction worldwide, an initiative that ultimately created more than 2,500 Carnegie libraries between 1883 and 1929. Canada benefited significantly from this generosity, with 125 libraries established through Carnegie funding.
constructing a new library. On June 9, 1913, the doors of Hamilton’s elegant Carnegie Library opened to an eager public. During the first library board meeting in the new building, officials proudly announced that 70,000 books, a collection nearly five times larger than the original, had been transferred from the old facility.
Having fulfilled its primary literary purpose, the original library building was reclaimed by the city and swiftly repurposed as additional office space for the board of education. Yet its cultural significance continued to grow when, in 1914, it became the first home of the Municipal Gallery of Hamilton (later renamed the Art Gallery of Hamilton). This dual legacy as the birthplace of both the city’s public library system and its art gallery cemented the building’s importance in Hamilton’s cultural history, nurturing both literary and visual arts for generations to come.
Service Beyond Books: A Haven for Veterans
In 1915, as the Great War raged across Europe, the Lieutenant Governor established the Soldiers’ Aid Commission to support troops returning from the front lines. When Hamilton organized its own branch in January of 1917, the basement of the old library building found a new and noble purpose as the commission’s offices and reception hall.
Throughout the remainder of the First World War, this former temple of literature became a sanctuary of support for those affected by the conflict. The commission’s work extended far beyond the walls of the building, reaching into homes across Hamilton to assist families whose fathers, sons, and brothers were serving overseas.
The old library’s basement became a crucial waypoint in many soldiers’ journeys home. Commission staff ensured that returning veterans were officially discharged from these offices specifically to guarantee that someone would be present to greet each soldier upon arrival. More than a mere administrative formality, this practice embodied Hamilton’s commitment to its servicemen, no one would return to an empty reception after the trauma of war.
The commission’s services were comprehensive, providing returning soldiers with resources crucial for reintegration into civilian life. From employment assistance and medical referrals to housing support and pension advocacy, the old library building that had once nourished minds through books now helped heal the physical and emotional wounds of war.
This transformation of the building—from literary haven to educational headquarters to veterans’ support center—illustrated how the structure continued to serve the intellectual, educational, and humanitarian needs of Hamilton citizens even after its days as a library had ended. Through this wartime service, the building that had introduced many Hamiltonians to the wider world through literature now welcomed back those who had experienced that world’s darkest realities on the battlefield.
A New Chapter: The Public Health Era
In the post-war period, Hamilton’s battle against disease found an unlikely ally in the former library building. The Hamilton Health Association had been operating a free chest clinic from a modest residential property on Hess Street as part of its campaign against tuberculosis. During the war, the clinic extended its vital services to returning soldiers, many suffering from respiratory ailments contracted in the trenches.
By the time peace was declared, the clinic had outgrown its limited quarters and desperately needed more spacious accommodations. Once again, the versatile old library building stood ready to serve the community in a new capacity. The Health Association initially considered using the main floor of the former library, but medical staff quickly discovered that the constant traffic noise from Main Street proved too disruptive for thorough medical examinations.
The building’s basement emerged as a surprisingly suitable alternative, despite the buildup of dust from years of serving as a coal storage area. After thorough renovations, the chest clinic settled into these more spacious quarters, bringing crucial healthcare services to Hamilton’s citizens.
The building’s transformation into a health center was completed in 1921 when the Hamilton Health Department, under the leadership of Dr. James Roberts, relocated its offices to the main floor of the old library building. This move centralized much of the city’s public health infrastructure under one historic roof. On the main floor, the Health Department found space for the establishment of a Dental Clinic for school children. The basement, meanwhile, was divided between the aforementioned Chest Clinic, as well as the Health Department’s Well Baby Clinic, the Child Welfare Clinic and the Mental Health Clinic. With all of these services under one roof, the building was renamed the Public Health Building.
A New Mission: Conquering the Strangling Angel
Within these repurposed walls, Dr. Roberts would soon launch a pioneering medical campaign that would earn the building international recognition. Diphtheria—grimly known as “the strangling angel of children” for the deadly pseudomembranes it formed in young victims’ airways—was the leading cause of death among children under 14 at the time. From his headquarters in the old library, Dr. Roberts implemented one of North America’s first large-scale toxoid inoculation programs. The results were nothing short of revolutionary; Hamilton witnessed a dramatic decline in childhood diphtheria mortality by the mid-1920s, well ahead of national trends. The success of this public health initiative turned the former library building into a destination for medical professionals from across the continent who came to observe and learn from Hamilton’s groundbreaking approach to diphtheria prevention.
What had once been quiet reading rooms now buzzed with the energy of medical innovation and public health service, as shelves of books gave way to cabinets of medical supplies. The building that had once nurtured minds through literature now saved lives through medicine, writing a powerful new chapter in its own history of public service.
The Epilogue: Demolition of a Hamilton Landmark
In 1954, after more than three decades of serving the community’s health needs, the Health Department vacated the historic building for a modern health centre on Hunter Street. This departure marked the beginning of the end for the structure that had been such an integral part of Hamilton’s civic development.
Shortly thereafter, the Art Gallery of Hamilton also relocated to new quarters, leaving the once-bustling building completely vacant for the first time since its construction. The silence that fell over the historic halls was short-lived, however, as the property was sold to prominent local developer J.M. Pigott in 1955.
By July of that year, the wrecking balls had arrived, and demolition began on the building that had, for sixty-five years, adapted to meet Hamilton’s evolving needs. Where once citizens had browsed for books, soldiers had found assistance, and families had received healthcare, only rubble remained.
The site that had witnessed the intellectual and social development of generations of Hamiltonians would soon be redeveloped for commercial purposes, leaving only memories and photographs to document the first home of Hamilton’s public library. Though the building itself disappeared from the cityscape, its legacy continued through the institutions it had housed—the library, art gallery, and health services that remained vital parts of Hamilton’s community fabric.
Today, as modern Hamiltonians walk past this location, few might recognize it as the birthplace of the city’s public library system and a cornerstone of its cultural and social history. Yet the story of this adaptable building—from literary sanctuary to educational headquarters to veterans’ resource to public health center—reflects Hamilton’s own story of resilience, growth, and transformation through the early twentieth century.