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History

On February 9, 1893, Huntington Memorial Library was granted a charter from the State of New York.  The Library has come a long way from its humble beginnings more than 100 years ago when it was known as Oneonta Public Library. The first library, in 1837, was located in the school building that once was on Academy Street.  It became so popular it caught the attention of the Regents of the State of New York.  One of the officers visited the library and upon the suggestion of the Regents, the library received its charter of incorporation on February 9, 1893. It wasn't long before the library outgrew the space in the school building and on September 1, 1895, it was moved to three rooms in a building on Main Street. By 1904, the library outgrew its three rooms and moved to the theater block on Chestnut Street where it remained until 1909.  Once again the library was on the move, this time occupying space on Ford Avenue in a building owned by the City of Oneonta.  Many people gave substantial donations to help the library grow.  In 1909, the library owned 9,000 books and had a circulation of 32,278. At the library board meeting of November 1917, a letter from Henry E. Huntington was received proposing that he donate his old family homestead as a permanent home for the library and endow it with a trust fund for its support. The only thing he asked in return was that the library be renamed "The Huntington Memorial Library" to honor his parents. The offer was accepted, and in January of 1918, the house and grounds were deeded to the City of Oneonta to be used exclusively as a public library and park.  At each of the main entrances to the park, there is a large boulder bearing a plaque in memory of the Huntingtons and their gift of the library. Throughout the years, the library has grown, requiring several additions and renovations to add space.  Oneonta has one of the largest and most beautiful public libraries in the area.