Freeport Memorial Library

The Freeport Memorial Library’s history goes back to 1884, when Professor Loren M. Burdick, principal of the Freeport Schools, established a library with funds raised by amateur entertainments. For a while, the books were kept in the clothes closet of the principal’s office in the Grove Street School. In 1895, the Board of Regents of New York State granted a provisional charter. The following year 759 volumes constituted the Library’s book collection and circulation reached 1,174. A permanent charter, signed by Melvil Dewey, was granted on December 21, 1899.

The completion of the Freeport library building as a war memorial in 1924 was an appropriate climax to the efforts of the citizens of the village to find a suitable and lasting memorial to the sacrifices made by those who died in the service of their country. A close look at the engravings on the original building reveals the names of the historic battles of World War I, the Spanish American War, and Civil War.

In 1999, the Freeport Landmarks Preservation Commission dedicated a roadside marker on the library’s grounds.