The Martha Canfield Library
is located on East Arlington Road in Arlington, Vermont. We invite you to stop in and browse our many books and other materials. Registration for a library card is free.
The first library in Arlington was the Arlington Library Society, in which each member purchased "shares". They were then allowed to borrow books in proportion to the number of shares they owned. Then, in 1858, the Arlington Library Association was formed, and the new library had a room in the railroad station. The Library was very small and not active from 1860 to 1897, as there are no existing records that we know of from that time. During the 1890's Martha Canfield began loaning her own books out of her home, and soon, with the assistance of the Library Committee of the Arlington Neighborhood Club, opened the Arlington Circulating Library. The Library Committee kept the library open after Martha's death in 1919.
The Martha Canfield Memorial Free Library was incorporated Nov. 16, 1937, with a 24 member board of trustees, including Dorothy Canfield Fisher. In 1947 the Community Club Articles of Association were written, and on
Jan. 30, 1948
Dorothy and John Fisher deeded the brick house on route 7A to the Community Club, with space to be available for the library.
In 1943 the East Arlington Library opened, and gradually became independent over the next few years. In 1954 Dr. George Russell, who had been collecting information about
Vermont
for years, gave his books and papers to the Library, and an addition was built to house the material.
By the mid-1960's, the Board realized that the space the Library occupied was inadequate, and discussions of options continued sporadically over the next 30 years. In April 1994 negotiations began with the Arlington School Board for lease of land on the
Fisher
Elementary School
property for construction of a new library building. The lease was approved by voters and construction began in the summer of 1995. The new Martha Canfield Library opened Tues. May 7, 1996.
Please e-mail us, Martha Canfield Library, with any questions or comments.
Copyright The Martha Canfield Library
802-375-6153 | 
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