Quiet please!

Crofton Park's lovely library has been a local landmark for 120 years. As the library celebrates its anniversary, we look at how it all began.

Crofton Park's library is one of several local Carnegie libraries, which were built using funds donated by a Scotsman, Andrew Carnegie. In the late 19th century, Carnegie became the richest man in the world by establishing the steel industry and investing in oil and railroads in the USA.

An early influence on Carnegie was John Byers Anderson, an American philanthropist who made his fortune building railways. At a time when many thought that poor people were not entitled to books and education, Anderson opened his personal library up to working boys -- including Carnegie -- on Saturday nights.

Carnegie wrote that he 'resolved if ever wealth came to me [to see to it] that other poor boys might receive opportunities similar to those for which we were endebted to the nobleman.'

Carnegie believed that the life of a wealthy industrialist should be dedicated initially to the accumulation of wealth and then to the distribution of that wealth to good causes. One of his best-known projects was the building of thousands of Carnegie libraries across the English-speaking world.

Andrew Carnegie 1835-1918

His rules for the building of each library included a commitment from the local council to fund the library's maintenance and operation, in order to demonstrate that it had public support. Also, while Carnegie offered to pay for the building, his scheme did not include buying or supplying the books.

Andrew Carnegie gave Lewisham £9,000 to build two libraries – the Brockley library at Crofton Park and one at Lower Sydenham. In total, five Carnegie libraries were built across the borough.

   In 1902, John William Webb, who developed Crofton Park, donated land next to the South-Eastern Railway Company’s station at Crofton Park.

   But plans for building the library on that site were delayed following objections from the railway company, which owned Crofton Park station. This dispute was not settled until autumn 1904, when the council could at last give the go- ahead.

   The Kentish Mercury of 30th Sept 1904 reported on the council meeting;

‘The Rev. A. Green, moving a vote of thanks to the chairman, said he hoped his parishioners would make use of the library to the fullest extent, filling their minds with useful information. Was a public library a necessary or a luxury? He, the other day, saw copies of the works of Shakespeare, Milton and others offered for sale at threepence each. When such books as those could be bought cheaply perhaps libraries were not necessary, but then there were certain books which were very expensive and beyond the reach of the people. It was therefore necessary to have such buildings.       

   The rev. gentleman caused much laughter by referring to the large numbers of women who could not cook and advising them to visit the library and consult the cookery and other domestic books.’

   Different times, different jokes.

   Various architects were invited to send in plans but the winning design was by A. L. Guy of Lewisham Park, who designed the Lower Sydenham Library, which had already opened in September 1904.

    Mr. F. J. Gorham, of Greenwich, was the builder, and the fittings were provided by the Library Supply Association. The work was completed over the next year.

Brockley Library in 1905 -- with, possibly, a workman's hut outside.

  The Brockley Library was formally opened on Saturday 21st October 1905 by the Mayor of Lewisham (Councillor T. White), accompanied by the local MP, Major Sir Edward Feetham Coates, aldermen, councillors and local vicars. It opened with 7,500 books for adults and 200 for children.

    Mr. C. W. Groves (Chairman of the Libraries Committee) gave a description of the new building. He commented that a ‘juvenile room’, for children up to the age of 12, was an innovation. It did not last long; in January 1907, the Kentish Mercury reported, ‘The Sub-Committee of the Libraries Committee appointed to consider suggestions for altering the rules for the juvenile room at the Brockley library, and generally as to the setting apart a separate room for juveniles at the branch libraries, reported that they had upon several occasions since the last meeting visited the library and kept observation as to the conduct of the children using the juvenile room.

'The room appeared to be used as a meeting place for the children and was of no educational value, and considerable annoyance was occasioned to adult readers and others by the noise and behaviour of the children. The Sub-committee were therefore of opinion that the provision of a special room for juveniles was undesirable and recommended that this be discontinued. The Committee had adopted the recommendation and given directions accordingly.’

Today, the children's section is a vital and popular part of the library.

  There were also separate reading rooms for men and women. A correspondent to the Kentish Mercury in May 1907, wrote, “Amazement and amusement are both being caused at Brockley by the following list of periodicals gravely allocated to the reading room for ladies:- The Catholic Times, The Christian Globe, The Civil Service Competitor, The Child's Companion. The Motor Boat. The Positivist Review. Could anyone make a small selection of papers more unsuitable and absurd?’

As we said, different times...

Find out more about the history of Crofton Park Library and join in with the celebrations, including a talk by Mike at 6pm, Tuesday 4th November, at the Library Friends' AGM.