As one of the thirteen original colonies, Rhode Island is home to many well-established sources of education, including Ivy League universities, government offices and libraries.
In fact, the oldest library is almost 30 years older than the country itself. Located in Newport, The Redwood Library and Athenaeum was founded in 1747, making it the first purpose-built library and the oldest continuous lending library in the United States.
Want to visit one of the oldest libraries in the country? Here’s what to know about The Redwood.
History of The Redwood Library
In 1747, a wealthy merchant Abraham Redwood and 46 proprietors founded The Redwood Library on the Enlightenment ideals of intellectual pursuit and civic engagement. The Redwood started with just 750 books, but over time, it grew to be an intellectual hub of southern New England.
In 1833, the term athenaeum was added to reflect the space’s interdisciplinary function as not just a library, but also a museum and research center, and in 1875, the nation’s first art gallery was added to the space. Today, The Redwood still houses a variety of historical artifacts, including over 200,000 volumes on early American history in the library, various historical manuscripts in the museum and artwork ranging from 1400 BCE to the present.
However, the Redwood is not only celebrated as an intellectual space, but also an architectural landmark. Built by Peter Harrison, the library’s stately building is the oldest public Neoclassic building in the country, complete with stately columns, portico, wings and large windows – designs which inspired many of the colonial libraries which came after Redwood.
More:Massachusetts’ first library is the oldest public library in the country. Here’s where it is
How to visit The Redwood Library
The Redwood Library is open at 50 Bellevue Ave., Newport from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Keeping with its founding vision of civic engagement, the library also hosts many events, like book clubs, concerts and readings.
This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.
