The Bancroft
Memorial Library was built in 1898, and donated to the town by Joseph
P. Bancroft, vice president of Draper Corporation,
in loving memory of his wife Sylvia. Today, it is one of the most beautiful
area libraries and a true gem of the Blackstone Valley. Its architecture
is described as Modified English Style and was built with granite quarried
from Milford.
Charming as the outside is, it is the inside that arrests your attention.
The building was designed by architect C. Howard Walker of Boston. Walker
designed it to be a replica of the Merton College Chapel at Oxford University
in England. The rich wood throughout the building is oak. In the main
reading room there are six cathedral-like arches spanning the width
of the room to create a solemn effect (complete
with what can almost be mistaken as an altar at the far end). A longer
look reveals a handsome formal fireplace made of oak and green glazed
tile. Hanging above are pictures of Joseph and Sylvia Bancroft.