Hazen Memorial Library (emeritus), Shirley, Mass.

Designed by Fitchburg architect Henry M. Francis (1836-1908) in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. He also designed the Former Shirley Police Headquarters. J. Dudley Littlehale was the contractor. Elizabeth "Betsy" Little Hazen, wife of Samuel Hazen (1797-1880), bequeathed $3000 for the building in 1893 stipulating that it had to be built within two years. Controversy over whether the library should be located in Shirley Center or Shirley Village had apparently been a hindrance to getting a library built before this time. Thomas Little Hazen (1843-1924), great nephew of the Betsy and Samuel, donated 1/4 acre of land for the project and chaired the building committee. The Town put up another $2000 in addition to $100 they had chipped in a few years earlier.

While I (b. 1953) like my handling of the library and its snowy cover, the representation of the tree limb beside it was done last and shows the effects of numb fingers.

The librarians are apparently more patriotic than the police as I notice they had their flag up while, as you will see in Former Shirley Police Headquarters, the police didn't.

See Hazen Library Cradle for a drawing of the cradle which used to be in the basement of the building.

This building was abandoned in Summer 1997 for a new facility on land formerly occupied by Ft. Devens. The website for the new facility is at http://www.shirleylibrary.org. In 2003 I got to visit the old building again since the Shirley Art Association was using it for meetings. It isn't quite the same without the books, but it's good to see it being used.

December 31, 1995