Montpelier had several libraries in the 100 years before the Kellogg-Hubbard opened. In 1794 there was a circulating library that consisted of 200 volumes on such subjects as history, biography, travel and adventure, but there were no books of fiction or religion.

The Village Library Society, founded in 1814, existed until 1850 when it turned its books over to the Young Men's Library Association, a group that lasted only a brief time. Other short-lived literary attempts included the Agricultural Library about 1860, and two reading rooms between 1860 and 1880 that provided newspapers and popular magazines free to the public.

In 1882, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union sponsored a fund drive to raise $5,000 in subscriptions for a public library. In 1884, the women were successful and on March 16, 1885, the Montpelier Public Library Association was established. Although only stockholders who provided the funding could use the library at first, by 1895, the 5,000-volume collection was entirely free to the public. The Young Men's Christian Association rented space for the library in the Vermont Mutual Fire Insurance Company building.

Meanwhile, in 1889, the Kellogg-Hubbard Library saga began when Martin M. Kellogg, a New York City real estate magnate born in Barre, died of a heart attack; three months later his widow, the former Fanny M. Hubbard, a Montpelier native, also died and left a $300,000 estate. The couple had agreed that their money should be given to the city to construct ornate entrance gates for the Green Mount Cemetery and to build a public library.

But Fanny's nephew, John E. Hubbard, contested the will. After witnesses testified at a probate court hearing that they hadn't realized they were signing a will, the judge ruled in Hubbard's favor. Town fathers filed a counter suit and after three years of dispute--with residents taking sides--Hubbard agreed to build the library; ironically, he eventually paid $30,000 more than the amount called for in the will.

Ground breaking took place in 1894 and by the summer of 1895, the $60,000 library was open for business. When the impressive building of rough, light-colored granite from Dummerston was completed, a dedication was held on January 2, 1896. The two-story entrance with its four columns, the ample windows with unusual portholes under the eaves, and the rounded bays give this Classical Revival library a distinctive look.

Mary E. Macomber, who had resigned as head of the library association, took over at the Kellogg-Hubbard. She left volunteers to run the association until 1897 when members of the latter group placed their books in the new library for 10 years, eventually agreeing to a merger.

John Hubbard died in 1899, and in 1903 his $125,000 bequest went to the library. Since money woes were over, the library was open every day except Sundays and holidays for a very generous 48 hours per week.

Floods have figured sadly in the library’s history. The collection was practically destroyed in the great flood of November 1927. 45 years later, in March 1992, Montpelier was hit with another flood caused by an ice jam. The Children’s Room, remodeled in 1951 in the basement, was flooded to the ceiling, though the staff and private citizens managed to save 20,000 books.

After the 1992 flood the Children’s Room operated under severe adverse conditions. It was subject to ongoing water problems which damaged the book collection and created an unhealthy environment for both children and staff. At the same time, the library faced other pressing problems. Book shelves were badly overcrowded, public reading areas needed to be expanded, and serious building code deficiencies demanded attention. It had become abundantly clear to the trustees that the time had come to confront and resolve these many issues.

1992 also saw a major change in the governance of the library. After a century of controversy in which the public was excluded from attending board meetings, the trustees agreed to open their meetings to the public and to include community representatives on the board. Now with eleven members, the Kellogg-Hubbard Library Board includes six members from the City of Montpelier and one member each from the towns of Calais, East Montpelier, Berlin, Middlesex, and Worcester.

In 1997 the trustees appointed a Library 2000 Committee to create a strategic plan for the library. By 1998, the conclusion of trustee deliberations was unequivocal: a new addition must be built to get the children out of the basement, and major renovations and restoration were required in the existing building. At the same time, another development had a profound influence on the confidence of the trustees. The library received word that it would be the beneficiary of a large bequest from the estate of Frances Holmes of Montpelier. Miss Holmes had long wished to be a librarian, but the circumstances of her life prevented that. It could be said that this important bequest was her way of achieving her dream.

From the start, the trustees determined that this “project of a hundred years” would be carried out with no false economies, but also with no unnecessary and unwise gilding. The original building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, had to be treated with respect and rigorous attention to its historic nature and full elegance. The renovations had to retain all the character and warmth of its century-long tradition.

With the assistance of the surrounding towns in its service area, the City of Montpelier, grants from the federal government through the efforts of Senator Patrick Leahy, and the generosity of many private donors, local businesses and corporations, the project came to fruition. In May 2000 a formal ground-breaking ceremony was held and construction was underway. With a strong sense of mission and tireless effort, the fundraising committees, library trustees, architects, builders, library staff, and volunteers went far beyond the call of duty to contribute to what was truly a labor of love.

In 2001, the project was completed. The inside of the library was returned to its original glory, with the re-opening of the central skylight, the restoration of the original paint, woodwork, and flooring. The new Children’s Room now on the second floor, was filled with light. Since the completion of the capital project, the library experienced a true renaissance. Over 750 people per day came through the doors to borrow books, to read in a beautiful setting, to attend educational programs and meetings, to introduce their children to the pleasures of the public library, and to access the information available on the Internet.

In 2003, the trustees realized that there were still financial challenges ahead for the library. With skyrocketing use by the public and with a larger building to staff and maintain, the board held a strategic planning retreat to assure the library’s long-term financial health. Their plans include an increase in fundraising activities, a campaign to increase the library’s supporting endowment through encouraging major gifts and bequests, and an effort to bring the library’s municipal support closer to (but still below) the state average.

Portions of this short history of the Kellogg Hubbard Library were taken from the book, "Where the Books Are, A History of Vermont Libraries" written by Patricia W. Belding, and from the from the Library's Capital Campaign booklet, "A New Chapter", written by Ed Day. Republished here with permission.

And, from the Vermont Historical Society- Dying Well in Montpelier by Cynthia Mills. This is the story of John Hubbard’s fall from public grace and of his memorial’s place in the continuing battle over how a man’s actions sould be remembered and judged.