Brumback Library

About this property

The Brumback Library is a historic public library in the city of Van Wert, Ohio, United States. Opened at the beginning of the twentieth century in order to serve all residents of Van Wert County, it occupies an architecturally prominent building by David L. Stine, which was constructed with funds donated by a local businessman. The building has been named a historic site, partly because of its place as the first public library in the United States to serve an entire county. Having decided that a public library would greatly benefit their community, a group of Van Wert ladies incorporated the Van Wert Library Association in 1890. In order to finance their project, the ladies sought subscriptions at $3 per person throughout the city and sponsored public entertainment events to raise additional money. By the end of 1890, the ladies had purchased 600 books, chosen a librarian, and rented a room in which to keep the library; its use was originally limited to the subscribers. Their efforts became recognized throughout the community, and in 1896 the city council enacted a 0.03% property tax for the library, raising approximately $575 per annum. Although the funds were sufficient to maintain the collection, the amount of work necessary to expand the library was prohibitive, the library experienced very little growth, and the founders soon realized that the library might not long survive once they were unable to continue supporting it. At this point came deliverance from an unexpected quarter. Born in Licking County in 1829, John Sanford Brumback settled in Van Wert in 1862 and eventually became one of the city's leading businessmen. As his health was failing in the late nineteenth century, Brumback decided to engage in philanthropy, and following his death in December 1897, his bequest of a large sum to the library was announced. Furthermore, his other heirs agreed to spend additional money on the construction of a building for the library, even though such an action was not required by the will. The most curious provision in the will was the concept of establishing a county library — no one had previously entertained such an idea, which was generally believed impossible when it was first announced, but discussion in the county's Granges produced virtually unanimous support among the county's farmers, and the mass desire for such a library prompted the state legislature to pass the necessary enabling legislation in the following April. Ownership of the library collection was transferred by a contract among the county commissioners, the Van Wert Library Association, and Brumback's heirs: the library ladies were to give their books, the heirs were to arrange for the construction of a library building in a Van Wert city park, and the county was to enact a permanent property tax for the library's continued support. The cornerstone was laid on July 18, 1899; construction occupied the entirety of 1900. Financial support from the Brumback estate surpassed $50,000.

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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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