Welcome To The Norman Williams Public Library
The library, which graces Woodstock’s Green was built in 1883-1884, culminating a century of the Shire Town’s devotion to learning and literature. Woodstock has always been an unusually literate community: in the early 19th century private academies, a medical college, and reading circles flourished. Five weekly newspapers were published. The new library gave tangible, enduring form to this tradition.
The gift of Dr. Edward H. Williams, the library was constructed on the site of the home of his parents, Norman and Mary Williams at the cost of $30,000. The new library was an immediate and somewhat overwhelming success, and Dr. Williams soon (1901) gave $20,000 for a double-wing transept addition. In the 1980’s over $150,000 was raised and spent on a new roof and other important building repairs.
