AVON LIBRARY

Inscription

AVON LIBRARY
ERECTED 1916 WITH $5,000
GRANT FROM ANDREW CARNEGIE.
BOARD PRES. VALERIA PENROSE
ADVOCATED FOR LIBRARY TO
SERVE POPULATION OF 707.
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2026

Andrew Carnegie believed that libraries serve as an essential resource for communities. The Carnegie Foundation gave millions in grants to build 1,681 public libraries in the Unites States (Carnegie Libraries – Across America). Valeria F. Penrose, President of the Library Board for Avon-by-the-Sea, New Jersey and Librarian Francis Winans initially contacted the Carnegie Corporation in 1915 regarding funding a new library building. At that time, the Avon Library was housed in a rented room on Main Street with a collection of 1,500 books. After the appointment of a new library board by the mayor and correspondence with the New Jersey Public Library Commission, Penrose again contacted the Carnegie representative. At that time, Carnegie required a municipality’s population to be above 1,000. Penrose pointed out while the 1915 state census put the winter, or year-round, population of Avon at 707, it was estimated that the summer population swelled to an average of 4,000. Additionally, the local school didn’t have a library, and students were using the public library instead.

The official offer of $5,000 was made by the Carnegie Corporation on May 15, 1916, with the stipulation that the borough agree to maintain the library for $500 annually and provide a suitable building site. Valeria Penrose and her friends raised the money to buy the lot at the corner of Fifth and Garfield and Carnegie Corporation Plan A building plans were used for the structure. (Columbia University Libraries – Carnegie Collections)

In June 1916, Valeria Penrose wrote to James Bertram, Secretary of the Carnegie Corporation, commenting that the Avon Library was the “smallest library in the state.” The Asbury Park Press, in a September 21, 1916 article about the laying of the cornerstone, stated that the appropriation of $5,000 was the smallest grant given by Carnegie. This may have been true at the time, however Carnegie continued to give public library grants until 1919 and several other municipalities received $5,000. (Library Program, 1911-1961) Whether it is the smallest library in New Jersey was not determined as of 2025.