FIRST TOWN HALL

Inscription

FIRST TOWN HALL
SOLDIERS MEMORIAL TOWN HALL
BUILT 1886 FOR MEETINGS AND
GATHERINGS. JOHN E. SHERMAN
POST 401 G.A.R. ALSO MET HERE.
BECAME ROSE FREE LIBRARY 1962.
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2020

In 1886, the town of Rose in Wayne County, New York built Soldiers Memorial Town Hall. The previous year, the town raised $2,000 dollars for the purchase of land and construction of the new building on Main Street. Once completed, the town hall was used for meetings and gatherings, including concerts, lectures, shows, various entertainments, and meetings of the John E. Sherman Post 401 Grand Army of the Republic.

In 1962, the town hall became home to the Rose Free Library, a public library that was formerly located in the town’s school. First chartered by the state in 1912, the Rose Free Library grew and prospered, eventually requiring larger accommodations. By June 1962, the library had moved into the town hall building on Main Street. As of 2022, the Rose Free Library continues to serve the community from this location.