History and General
Information
The
first public library service in Taos was initiated by Mrs. Lucy Case Harwood and
her husband Burt, who made their own personal library available to the people of
Taos from the front porch of their Ledoux Street home. Just before Mr. Harwood’s
death in 1923, Mrs. Harwood formally organized The Harwood Foundation as a
cultural center for the community. It was a place where artists and townspeople
could meet, exchange ideas, borrow books and show their artwork.
In the early 1930s, WPA funds were made available to add
on a wing, which was designed by John Gaw Meem, to house the growing library and
provide a community meeting room for the citizens of Taos. This became a formal
library and, in 1936, not long before Mrs. Harwood’s death, she deeded the
property over to the University of New Mexico with the understanding that The
University would maintain the facility as a public library in perpetuity.
By
this time, the Harwood housed a public library, an art gallery and museum, and a
community hall, none of which existed elsewhere in Taos.
In
the 1940s the Taos County Project was initiated through the Carnegie Foundation,
which brought a bookmobile that was active into the 1950s and operated out of
the Harwood.
The first librarian was Mr. Albert Gee, who was hired by Mrs. Harwood before her
death. Later Librarians included Willard “Spud” Johnson, who was a writer of
note and publisher of “The Horse Fly”, the “World’s Smallest and Most Inadequate
Newspaper”. Mrs. Toni Tarleton, a former Harvey Girl, succeeded Johnson and, for
many years, was the sole employee in the library.
In
the 70s the Harwood Foundation became a National Historic Place and became
eligible for grant monies and extensive renovation began.
The
Town of Taos took over the management of the Library in _____. In 1993 the
Town of Taos, the Friends of the Harwood Public Library and other community
organizations began raising money to build a new library building. The Town of
Taos contributed property it owned behind Town Hall and refinanced existing
bonds to create major funds for the library. The Friends group raised an
additional $300,000. Construction of the new building, designed by Robert
Sturtcman, began in 1995 and the present library opened in July, 1996.Less
than 10 years later, the Library has outgrown its present space and plans and
fundraising for expansion will begin in January, 2005.
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