You might not know that for many years, Maplewood Public Library has been quietly collecting local history materials. A special benefit of our recent renovation is our Local History Room. We’ve been fortunate that Doug Houser, a longtime Maplewood resident, has not only contributed several of our materials, but also given presentations and written books about Maplewood’s history.
Most of the Local History Room’s oldest items come from the 1930s, but a few date from the late 1800s. We have a library scrapbook documenting the first years of the library, a school orchestra scrapbook, and scrapbooks from World War II. Additionally, we have written correspondence and photographs related to the library and the Maplewood community. More recent items are from the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. These include Summer Reading announcements and photographs of young participants.
Our collection is strong in Maplewood-Richmond Heights yearbooks! Plus, the History Room contains some surprising items: a bee smoker, a 1910 Greenwood Hardware Store plate, a 1958 Maplewood Golden Jubilee hat, and a shovel from the Library’s 2007 ground-breaking event. We have a few paintings of early settlers and their homes.
Beginning May 8th, the History Room will offer drop-in hours on Fridays from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. Holidays and other exceptions will be noted on our calendar at maplewoodpubliclibrary.org/
