Clapp Memorial Library

The Clapp Memorial Library is a public library in Belchertown, Massachusetts.[1] Built in 1887 at the bequest of Belchertown native John Francis Clapp, the library is part of the Belchertown Center Historic District. Designed by New York architect H.F. Kilburn, it is built in the form of a Latin cross and features two large, stained glass windows as well as an eighty-foot-high tower in the center of the building.[2] Constructed by the Bartlett Brothers of Whately, MA, the building features primarily local materials, including the brownstone from Longmeadow, MA, the brick trim from Holyoke, MA, and the stained glass windows, made from sand and silica from Western Massachusetts.[3] The first librarian was Lydia A. Barton, who served from 1887 until her death in 1911.[4] The building is not owned or maintained by the town, but rather by the Trustees of the Library.[5]

Clapp Memorial Library

Clapp Memorial Library north window depicting Saint Cecilia, patroness of music. It is thought to have been fabricated by H.E. Hartwell, a New York decorator and designer, and was presented to the library by Susan Bridgman, one of the original library trustees.

Clapp Memorial Library south window, depicting literature as a figure in thought and repose. This window is dedicated to the memory of John Francis Clapp and is thought to have been fabricated by H.E. Hartwell, a New York decorator and designer.

Clapp Memorial Library