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The Building News of 13 April 1894 contained the following
report. "Mr. Passmore Edwards, accompanied by Mrs. Edwards,
Miss Edwards, and Mr. H.P. Edwards,BA., on Tuesday last, amidst
great rejoicing, in Queen's weather, laid the foundation-stone
of this library, being the most recent of many libraries and
institutes founded through Mr. Edwards's generosity in Cornwall.
The whole town and district practically turned out to welcome
him, with processions of friendly societies, local board, fire
brigade, volunteers, bands playing, church-bell, ringing, etc.
The building will stand on an excellent site on the Cross, immediately
facing the main approach to the railway station, at the junction
point of five streets, and will form the most prominent object
seen by every one arriving by rail to Camborne.
The local board purchased the former leases of the four tenements
that recently occupied the ground,and Mr. Arthur F. Basset,
the gentleman has just attained his majority with the ownership
of the Tehidy estates, has most liberally granted a 999 years
lease on a nominal rental whilst the building is used for the
purposes for which Mr Edwards intends it. The shape of the site,
as plans show, gave considerable difficulty in design, but led
to a picturesque grouping and some prominent features that lend
an originality to the building that might not have been so apparent
under the ordinary circumstances of a rectangular site. The
dimensions of the principal rooms are:-newsroom, 40ft. by 20ft;
lending library, 32ft. by 20 ft; porch, 10ft by 5ft; hall, 24ft
by 12ft; borrowers lobby, 20ft by 10ft; periodical room and
reference library, 41ft 6in by 20ft; general committee room
20ft by 19ft; a book repairing room, a librarian's room, 20ft
by 12ft; and a caretaker's residence.
The walling will be in pink elvan, with granite and Bath stone
dressings; the roofing will be of Delabole slate, the internal
joinery of varnished pitchpine. The architect Mr Silvanus Trevail,
F.R.I.B.A., of Truro"
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An early library existed in Camborne within the Camborne Literary
Institute which was founded in 1829 and it is unclear whether
Passmore Edwards' offer of funding for a Free Library was solicited
or whether it followed on from the Will of Octavious
Allen Ferris who had left his residuary estate to establish
or aid in the establishment of Free Libraries at Redruth, Camborne,
Truro, Falmouth and Penzance and of which Passmore Edwards was
aware.. |
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