Provincetown Public Library (old)

Provincetown Public Library
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
1891 Photo, reprinted in 1899
Location	330 Commercial St. Provincetown, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°3′9.36″N 70°11′6.77″W / 42.0526000°N 70.1852139°WCoordinates: 42°3′9.36″N 70°11′6.77″W / 42.0526000°N 70.1852139°W
NRHP Reference #	75000248
Added to NRHP	April 21, 1975

The former Provincetown Public Library is a nationally registered historic place located at 330 Commercial Street, Provincetown, Massachusetts.

In 1873, as a gift to the town, Nathan Freeman built the building, a mansard-topped structure. After its construction, the building housed the Public Library on the first floor, a Y.M.C.A. on the second floor and a photo studio on the third. In the library’s early years, the most colorful of its stewards was Abbie Cook Putnam. In 1977, the library — by now the building’s sole occupant — was extensively renovated. The librarian at the time was Alice O’Grady Joseph (d 2010), who was in charge from 1965 to 1982.^[1]

In 2005, the library moved several blocks up the street into another registered historic place, the former Center Methodist Church building, in 2005. The town's Tourism Office and the studios of Provincetown Community Television now occupy this former library.

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  Stereoscope image, c. 1865–1885(?)

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  The same building in 2007 when it was occupied by the offices of Seashore Point

References

• Laurel Guadazno, "Architectural Treasure Restored", Provincetown Banner, April 28, 2005

1. Dunlap, D. W. (2015). Building Provincetown: A guide to its social and cultural history, told through its architecture. Provincetown, MA: Town of Provincetown Historical Commission.