East Haven's first library was established in 1909 in a cloakroom in Town Hall. The current library building was erected in 1928 thanks to the generosity of Mr. Isaac Hagaman. An addition to the original structure was completed in 1975.
The Hagaman Memorial Library now serves the East Haven community with a collection exceeding 50,000 volumes. Materials for preschoolers through adults fill its shelves. Access to magazine articles and books available throughout the state is made possible through CD-ROM indexes and online networks. Patrons are able to access the Internet free of charge at one of several public access PCs. Circulation of over 130,000 per year is accomplished by computer.
Although its beginning was in a cloakroom, the Hagaman Memorial Library meets the 21st century as a comprehensive provider of information.
About Isaac Hagaman
While the Hagaman name is familiar to many residents, who he was and why the library is named for him is not widely known. Isaac Hagaman was born in Poughkeepsie, New York,, on January 30, 1843, the youngest of the seven children of Ellen Swarthout and Henry Hagaman. After brief stays in Pine Plains, New York, and New York City, the family moved to East Haven in 1855.
Their house was located at 219 Main Street--what is now the southeast corner of the library property. It appears that his father was in some type of retail business. Records indicate that the post office was located in their house.
Hagaman and his two brothers went into the hotel business in the late 1800s. They owned and operated the Hotel Albamarle at Fifth Avenue and 24 Street in New York City. In 1894, he sold the hotel for $150,000 and returned to live in the family home on Main Street, where he lived until his death in 1925.
Little is known about Hagaman's life during these years. He was elected chief of the bucket brigade in 1901. However, he apparently had a falling out with the fire department because someone else was elected the following year. Mr. Hagaman appears to have been somewhat of a recluse, though he did enjoy playing cards with friends at a blacksmith shop on the corner of Main Street and Hemingway Avenue. He was frequently seen taking the bus to New Haven, a basket under his arm, to buy groceries and a New York paper. Some remembered him as crabby. He once reprimanded a child for running a stick along the picket fence surrounding his house.
Hagaman's original estate totaled $250,000, all of which he left to the library. However, some distant maternal relatives contested the will and were awarded $90,000. In 1928, the new building was erected at a cost of $70,000 and the remaining funds were put in trust to maintain the library. Today, the proceeds from this trust provide a large portion of the library's book budget.
No one is sure what prompted Mr. Hagaman to leave his estate to the library. He had never visited the library during his lifetime. He may have followed the example of his housekeeper, who had left some money to the library or he may have become aware of the need for a new Library through discussions with the librarian, Miss Lottie Street.
Lottie Street, East Haven's First Librarian
While the residents of East Haven owe a debt of gratitude to Isaac Hagaman for the bequest that provided funding for the library, they owe an equal debt of gratitude to Lottie Street, the first librarian.
Miss Street was a member of one of the oldest families in East Haven. In her early life, she assisted her father in his duties as town clerk. She also served as a member of the school board, taught Sunday school at the Old Stone Church, and published articles on religious subjects. In 1889, she published A Knot of Blue, which was widely used in Sunday School libraries.
In 1909, East Haven was one of 15 Connecticut towns without a library. The state offered to furnish a case of books if a place and a responsible person to take charge could be found. Miss Street volunteered and on July 1, 1909, the first library in East Haven opened for business in a coatroom of the old town hall.
Within two years, this location became overcrowded. The board of directors leased a small one-story structure behind the Kirkham building. In 1917, the library moved once again to the old post office building. It remained there until it moved to the present location in 1928.
Miss Street's spirit was contagious and her enthusiasm knew no bounds. It is largely owing to his spirit of helpfulness that the library received a bequest of $1,000 from Mrs. Harriet Metcalf, and also indirectly led to Mr. Hagaman's bequest. Mrs. Metcalf kept house for Hagaman. It is believed that her interest in the library was impetus for his donation towards a permanent library.
Miss Street retired in 1937. She continued as advisory librarian until ill health forced her to resign. She died in January 1942.
History of the Children’s Room
East Haven residents who regularly visit the Children’s Room at the Hagaman Memorial Library are used to seeing shelves filled with colorful picture books, the latest paperback series, videos, puzzles and computers. This was not always the case.
Library reports in the early years do not mention any services particular to children. The first mention of children’s programming occurred in the 1923 annual report. At the request of the State Library, the East Haven Library celebrated Children’s Book Week and for a short time tried to schedule story hours. These were soon discontinued due to lack of facilities. At the same time, the librarian asked for suggestions for books needed in schoolwork. Cooperation between the library and schools was another state requirement.
Little is known about the book collection during the library’s early years. In 1926, The East Haven Public Library Bulletin listed titles by Louisa May Alcott, Rudyard Kipling, Mark Twain and Jules Verne. There were many books that were probably considered the Sweet Valley High of the time, among them Carolyn of the Sunnyheart and Peggy Stewart at School. Preschoolers would have found few picture books on the shelves.
Non-fiction accounted for about 25% of the collection. Many titles seemed to be geared toward the boys’ interests, such as The Boys’ Book of Mounted Police. Only one title, Every Girls’ Library was written specifically for the girls.
When the Hagaman Memorial Library opened, the Children’s Room was located in the room to the left of the front door. This room has excellent acoustics for musical performances. But the voices of small children would echo throughout the library. It is no wonder that the Children’s Room was closed for five months in 1947 because the children were too noisy.
1951 marked the beginning of Children’s Services, as it exists today. Mrs. Grace Sullivan, who later became Library Director, was appointed the first children’s librarian. That summer, the library sponsored its first "Summer Reading Contest." In the 1952 library report, it was reported that circulation in the children’s room accounted for 45% of the total circulation, even though children’s books accounted for 25% of the collection. Even though today’s circulation is much larger, the percentages remain the same.
In 1958, the collection had outgrown the room to the left of the front entrance and moved to the lecture hall where it remained until the 1975 renovation. It then moved to its current location at the back of the building.
Currently, the room is bursting at the seams. There is very little room to add new materials without discarding older titles. Nevertheless, the Children’s Room staff strives to provide top notch materials and programming for the children of East Haven. It is guaranteed that July and August will be filled with programs and crafts. On any given day, numerous children visit the library to participate in the Summer Reading Game. The staff looks forward to offering several new, exciting programs to introduce preschoolers to the joys of reading.
Picture of Stained Glass Window in Library Rotunda
