Discover Toronto's history as told through its plaques

2004 - Now in our 12th Year - 2016

To see what's new on this site, you can visit the Home Page

Looking at this page on a smartphone?
For best viewing, hold your phone in Landscape mode (Horizontal)

Scarboro' Centennial Memorial Library

Photos by Alan L Brown - Posted October, 2006

On the south side of St. Andrews Road, beside St. Andrew's Church, is this historic library. A Scarborough Historical Society plaque attached to the west side of the building has this to say:

Coordinates: 43.760347 -79.251554

Scarborough's first public library, the Scarborough subscription library, was organized at a meeting at St. Andrew's Church on April 7th, 1834, with forty-six members paying a fee of five shillings. Dr. R.D. Hamilton was elected president, W.M. Elliot treasurer, Arch Glendinning secretary, and James A. Thomson librarian. "No book of a seditious, deistical, or licentious character was to be allowed on the shelves on any pretence whatever." In 1878 the library was incorporated as a Mechanics Institute. In 1896 the people of Scarborough marked the 100th anniversary of the settlement of the township by erecting here the Scarboro' Centennial Memorial Library. In 1955 its members sponsored the institution of a free public library for all Scarborough, which continued to operate the old library until the building of the new Bendale branch at Danforth and McCowan Rds. in 1961.

Other plaques at this location
In Memory of David Thomson
Indian Trail
St. Andrew's Church
St. Andrew's Church
The Thomson Settlement

Related website
Scarborough

More
Libraries

Here are the visitors' comments for this page.

(none yet)

Here's where you can sent me a comment for this page.

Note: Your email address will be posted at the end of your comment so others can respond to you unless you request otherwise.

Note: Comments are moderated. Yours will appear on this page within 24 hours (usually much sooner).

Note: As soon as I have posted your comment, a reply to your email will be sent informing you.

To send me your comment, click [email protected].

Thanks
Webmaster

Note: If you wish to send me a personal email, click here.