John Passmore Edwards

St Ives Free Library

History

This building is the gift of Mr. J. Passmore Edwards to the inhabitants of St. Ives, an ancient borough in his native county, and is another proof of his unbounded generosity. After accepting Mr. Edwards's offer, the corporation, in the first place, had great difficulty in procuring a suitable site for the building but, however, they at last succeeded. The present site, the gift of Mr. T.B. Bolitho, M.P. for the Western Division of Cornwall, is but a short distance from the railway station, and, on entering the town is situated very prominently on an angle where two streets intersect.

The frontage of the building towards Gabriel-street is 76ft in length, and that against the main street 34ft The perspective sketch is taken from the. main street. The elevations are to have granite dressings to the plinth line above this the dressings will be of Bath stone with pink rockwork Elvan facings; all other walls will be of local stone, with brick dressings Internally, the ground floor will contain newspaper and periodical room, 30ft. by. 18ft; lending library and borrowers' lobby, 32ft. by 18ft; boys reading-room, 19ft. by 10ft., with spacious lobby and staircase, also heating chamber and other offices.
On the first floor there will be a reference library, 28ft by 18ft; ladies' or committee room, 15ft by 15ft, librarian's room, 19ft by 10ft, also necessary caretakers' apartments. The whole of the building for library purposes will be heated with hot water on the most modern approved principle, and wiii be well lighted and ventilated throughout. Messers John Symons and Son, of Blackwater, Scorrier,are the Contractors for the building. Extract from Building News, 1 May 1896

January 22, 2004