Once upon a time a group of women from College Hill in Montrose hatched a truly wondrous plan. They knew there was something missing from their town, could feel it in their bones, and it was a thing they knew and felt no town should go without. A library, well-stocked and staffed, would do a world of good for the wealth of residents living in the town.
So they took one step, and then another, and pretty soon they were standing on the corner of Kings Ferry Road, with a deed in their hands and smiles on their faces. Chartered by the State Education Department, the library was beholden to no municipality, but instead operated under the by-laws of its five elected trustees.
Time passed, the town grew, and the library became too small to meet the town’s needs. This did not frighten the library ladies; they simply packed their books and moved a few feet down the road into their new home: the Kavana Building.
And here they kept their treasured collection, for a time. The leaves grew and fell and grew and fell eleven times more before then again they had to leave. A short, but pleasant stay, like a burst of wind on a winter’s morn. But the town needed more, and the library obliged.
Fond memories called the library nearer to its first home, and at the old Montrose Fire House it settled. For one-fifth of a century, this building met the needs of the community, but like the wanderer’s soul, again the time came to move on. Like its founders, the library could not sink into complacency. Like fired steel, it remained flexible to the needs of its time.
For the last time the library moved, farther than any move prior. Its fate seemingly tied to Kings Ferry Road, the library relocated and recollected a mile away in a new building meant to meet the demands of the changing world. Greater space brought with it greater opportunity, keeping the library always on the cutting edge. But this is just the beginning, the Hendrick Hudson Free Library has only just begun to show its adaptability and value.
The years passed, and the library grew—not just in size, but in purpose. No longer just a home for books, but a gateway to the world: passports, museum passes, a “Library of Things,” all pushing the library into a new realm. Moving beyond its walls, the outside became another canvas for learning and engagement as stories appeared and musical notes traveled in the wind.
The winds of change blew once again through the ever-evolving library—this time, not in location, but in the very fabric of how it connected with the world. Technology, in many forms, wove itself into the heart of the space. A flickering sign greeted passersby with messages of opportunity, while programs now reached beyond the walls, flowing directly into homes. A quiet station stood ready, offering power to those in motion, and panels stretched toward the sky, gathering light to keep the building warm and welcoming.
If around to see it now, the founding ladies, who shook the earth beneath the Town of Cortlandt with their forward-thinking, would undoubtedly stand amazed, beyond words, seeing how a simple plan to strengthen their town had grown into something far greater, a living, breathing testament to how far their vision had progressed.
In a world dominated by information, what better place is there to learn and grow than your local library? Housed in its shelves and in its technology, in its employees and innovation, there is something basic, something that the ladies from College Hill tapped into. And while they will never know it’s true influence, they can rest with the knowledge that their dreams have become a reality, which continues to be built upon by its employees, patrons, and the world around it.
To be continued…
