Thayer Public Library
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Thayer Public Library | |
 Original library (1874-1953) | |
   | |
| Location | 2 John F. Kennedy Memorial Dr., Braintree, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°12′24.2″N 71°0′17.8″W / 42.206722°N 71.004944°W |
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1874 |
| Architect | Hammatt Billings & Joseph E. Billings |
| Architectural style | Renaissance |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000446[1] |
| Added to NRHP | July 21, 1978 |
The Thayer Public Library is a public library located in the town of Braintree, Massachusetts with 102,000 books, 200 periodical subscriptions, and 8,000 videos, DVDs, music CDs, and audiobooks.[2] The library is a member of the Old Colony Library Network.[3]
The library is named for General Sylvanus Thayer,[2] who helped found it through a $30,000 bequest in his will. The original building was dedicated June 4, 1874, and opened to the public in September of the same year.[2] It operated as a library until 1953, when it was replaced by a larger building across the street.[2] The 1874 building was occupied by the Braintree Water Department for many years, but is currently vacant. This building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.[1]
In 1997, the 1953 library building was razed and replaced by the current three-story brick postmodern building that opened in 1999.
