Pages

Saturday, August 27, 2011

The Smoke Rise Library

The Smoke Rise LibraryThere's a building in Smoke Rise, across from the Smoke Rise Office and somewhat connected to the Smoke Rise Village Inn that used to be known as the Smoke Rise Library.

I learned about it when Christine Bell mentioned it to me; that's where archives of the Smoke Rise Newsletter now reside [Note: I hope to go back to finish dating all of Cornie Hubner's articles.]

Are you familiar with the Smoke Rise Library?

Imagine how delighted I was to receive this email from Diana Tews, former Smoke Rise Resident, who writes:

"Got a big kick out of reading many of the posts on your blog. I have loads of great memories from Smoke Rise, having lived there as a kid of 5 (in 1965) until I got my first apartment in Manhattan (1985 - but still went home a lot until my folks moved away).

Lots of time spent at the Village Inn - had ballet class there one year, and with 4 kids in our family we were always in on the annual ski and skate swap (selling what you grew out of and buying the new sizes). 

Also went to The Grillhouse (?) attached to the Inn, after hours and hours spent on the tennis courts (the original 4 and the red clay one that got a bubble over it in the winter near the Gulf station).

Charlie Syvarth used to buy cases of the supermarket brand soda and keep them in his fridge in the back of the Gulf station, so for 25 cents you could always cool down.

But the other thing I remember, but can't seem to get any verification from anyone on is, that for at least a few years when I was a kid, the small building the the left when you face the Village Inn was set up as a children's library. Used to ride bikes over there and check out the latest Nancy Drew offerings. I hope I wasn't imagining that!

Anyway, I've enjoyed your blog quite a bit and will continue to drop by now and again. Nice work, thanks! The Smoke Rise Library Building

Best, 

Diana Tews (alum)



For Diana, I include with her comments these photos I took of the building to the left of the Smoke Rise Inn that was indeed - as she remembered - the Smoke Rise Library.

By the way, I was pretty intrigued with Diana's comments about dance classes at the Inn. She writes further:

"Pretty sure I had ballet there one year, and then at the Community Church after that. A lot of parents and kids from the late 60s early 70s will also remember being sent to Barclay's ballroom dance classes once a week for a stretch, also at the Community Church. As 6th & 7th graders we were still learning the waltz, fox trot, etc., right in the middle of the rock emergence of the day. Crazy. The Barclay's did it throughout the area, Mountain Lakes etc. Fun times in a great place."

Thanks, Diana, for sharing these priceless memories.

Does the Smoke Rise Library or the account of dance classes take you back? Please do share!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Library was officially known as The Morris Kinney Memorial Library. It was established in the early 1960's by J Alden Talbot as a tribute to his life long freind.
The library was operated for a number of years by the Women of Smoke Rise. It was closed around 1970-1971. The books were removed around 1975 and stored.

In an interesting side note, a few pictures most recently surfaced at Kinnelon's Museum, L'Ecole, depicting the interior of the library in the middle 1960's.

Tom Kline

CB Whittemore said...

Tom,

Thanks so much for filling in the gaps on the Smoke Rise Library.

I can't wait to check out the photos from the inside of the library. I bet they are fascinating.

Best,
CB

Michael Moody said...

I would have thought it was opened earlier than the '60s, perhaps the late '50s. Since it was within easy walking distance from my house, I frequented the library, reading all the Tom Swift Jr. books. To this day, Science Fiction is my favorite genre.
When they decided to close, I was able to get a couple of the books. They have the Library stamp inside to remind me of those formative years, and the good reads.

Michael Moody

CB Whittemore said...

Michael, I imagine that the library was opened in the mid 50s if not the early 50s. I'll check whether anyone knows for sure.

I'd love to see the stamp inside your books. Perhaps you might scan it and send it in?

Best,
CB

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...