The West Branch Library is celebrating 111 years in Davis Square! And it barely looks a day older than 110. We kid. In fact, the ongoing rehabilitation effort has the the ol’ biblio-palace looking more spry than we can remember. We can’t wait to go back even if we will miss the haunted, steampunk vibes of pre-rehab years.
That place was a mess, but it was our mess. Personally, I wrote some of my favorite work there in the decaying beauty of that testament to the occasional benevolence of the robber barrons. I love seeing it first thing in the morning, the way the sun catches it shortly after dawn in the early summer. It’s a great little building and the renovation is much needed.
Take a Look
For more great more info on the West Branch building check out this post about the Lamps of Learning by the Somerville Public Library. For a history-nerd rabbit-hole that threatens to consume your morning, check out this survey of the building by the Massachusetts Historical Commission.