Through the past few decades, South Windsor has made a name for itself as a bustling and growing town. However, South Windsor also has a rich history and contains countless historical sites.
The Wood Memorial Library, founded by William R. Wood, is a building that holds a special place in the hearts of many.
William Wood was originally a resident of South Windsor. Wood’s overarching purpose for the museum was to honor his parents, Dr. William R. Wood and Mary Lyman Ellsworth Wood, and their legacies. In 1926, he began construction and the library was then designed and built by William Marchant, a well known Hartford architect. The library successfully opened in 1927 and was run by town librarians until 1968, when the town decided that it needed a larger, more centralized location for a library. Wood Memorial was closed the same year, and remained that way until 1971.
That year, a group of local residents came together in an effort to reopen the library. They named themselves the Friends of Wood Memorial Library & Museum and became a nonprofit organization. The group was led by the one and only Edith Vibert, who later went on to become first librarian of the reopened Wood Memorial Library.
Their efforts paid off and that same year the library was reopened as a historical site. Ever since, the library has been run by Friends. Wood also created a Trust Fund for the library, which is overseen by the Wood Memorial Library Association. The board uses Wood’s Trust to cover utilities and maintenance of the library, and members of Wood’s family remain on the board today.
The library has continued to make a significant impact on South Windsor. It holds historical archives filled with mementos of South Windsor’s history, which are largely open to the public through various events held by the library and online.
“The collections include items such as personal and professional papers, business, farm, and historical town records, family letters, journals and diaries, photographs, speeches, lectures, unpublished writings, and historical publications,” said Jessica Vogelgesang, Communications Director at Wood Memorial.
Wood Memorial’s mission is to make History, Nature, and the Arts Come Alive. “Today, the Friends continues to offer educational and cultural programming such as lectures, author events, concerts, workshops and a variety of print and digital publications,” Vogelgesang told The Prowl.
Jamie Howe, a member of the Board of Directors at Wood Memorial, believes wholeheartedly that the library is still meaningful to modern South Windsor.
“For over 50 years, the Friends have provided programming and activities that help to preserve and honor the history of South Windsor and the surrounding states. We have modernized our goals in keeping with the current times, so we have the unique ability to offer cultural programming and historically accurate activities, exhibits, and events that are equally relevant to society but maintain the important and rich cultural history that we aspire to promote,” Howe explained.
Currently, the library is preparing for events that will be held this summer, which works to highlight underrepresented voices in South Windsor’s community. This winter they will hold their annual Gingerbread House Festival.
Since its humble beginnings, Wood Memorial has been a symbol for memory and preservation. Today, the Friends continue to uphold Wood’s vision, and are excited for how the library will continue to write history.
