History of the Library

By 1928, the community was convinced the library needed a building of its own to hold the ever-growing collection, then over 5,300 volumes, as well as the many community members who came to browse. The community raised the $20,000 needed by public subscriptions. The plans were drawn by Alfred Bussell and are believed to have been executed by Samuel Horsfall, neither of whom would accept a penny for their work.

In 1930, the new library was opened on Senter Street, in what is now the Community Center. There was a fireplace to greet the patrons and a "real" children's room. An addition was made to that building in 1957. Called "the wing", it was larger than the original building.

By 1970, it was agreed that a new and larger building was needed. The community voted to change from a Free Association Library to a School District Library, which would allow the approval of a bond issue to pay for a new library. The Friends of the Library was founded in 1972 to help build public support for the project.

After a long search and the rejection of several locations, the Grunfelds donated their property on South Greeley Avenue for the explicit use of a new library building in 1974. The building was designed by Chappaqua resident Philip M. Chu and opened in December, 1978.

In 1986, a children's program room was added to accommodate the ever growing number of children's programs and small group meetings. The year 2006 saw the expansion of the front of the library and the rearrangement of a portion of the collection and service areas.

That small farming village is now a vibrant community of a population over 17,000. The library now offers more than 254,000 physical and digital items and has added streaming services in addition to programs for patrons of all ages and space for the community to study, read and enjoy.

Today, the Chappaqua Library serves as a vibrant focal point of the community.