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Uxbridge Public Library - History

The Uxbridge Public Library, which stands on the southeast corner of Brock and Toronto Streets was built as a Mechanics Institute in 1887 with money left for that purpose by Joseph Gould. It continued the services of the Mechanics Institute which had been operating out of the Temperance Hall since 1859. When the building was officially opened by the Hon. Ross, Minister of Education, in 1888, he said that "This building is the first donation of the kind in the province, and the library itself is the best in the province for the size of the town." The building became known as the Free Public Library in 1898. It has continued to provide Library service to the Town of Uxbridge until the present time, and since the formation of Durham Region in 1974, has served the Library needs of the whole of Uxbridge Township as well.

The three-storey building is built on a steep slope with the basement opening at ground level on the east to Pond Street, and the second level opening to Toronto Street on the west. The building is of late Victorian style with Gothic proportions and detailing. Brickwork includes bands of red which contrast with the overall buff brickwork typical of the area and period of construction.

The clock tower of the library is one of the most interesting architectural features of the town of Uxbridge. The library clock was installed on August 16, 1887, by the Seth Thomas Clock Co. of Thomaston, Connecticut, and it still works perfectly 123 years later. The clock remained silent from 1954 to 1999. In December of last year the Verdin company installed new chimes in the clock tower. The chimes were possible with donations from Uxbridge citizens and businesses.

The basement has been largely renovated, but in such a way as to expose some of the original features. A section of the west wall has been left bare to show the pyramidal stone foundation which tapers from 4' at the base to 2' at the top of the foundation. Two original pine pillars and a beam frame this section. Also of note are a window on the east wall which has been left to show the original 18" deep window sill formed by the foundation wall, and the original fireplace framed in pine which is now situated on the north wall.

One other feature of note is the open wooden bannister on the curving stairway leading from the second to the third storey at the north end of the building.

General Information

Uxbridge's Public Library is located at 9 Toronto Street South, in downtown Uxbridge. The library can be reached at 905-852-9747, or faxed at 905-852-9849.

The Public Library has Internet facilities and of course, books, magazines, newspapers, audio books (CD, tape or on-line), DVDs and reference materials are all available. The library also has a CD-ROM for quick information and participates in an active inter-library loan network.

Library Hours

Uxbridge Branch: 852-9747
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday - 9:30am - 5:00pm
Tuesday & Thursday - 9:30am - 9:00pm
Sundays (October to May) - 1:00pm - 5:00pm

Zephyr Branch: 473-2375
Tuesday & Thursday: 1:30pm - 8:30pm
Saturday: 10:00am - 1:00pm

Adult Department

Author readings, craft workshops and other special events are planned. Please check our monthly flyer (available at several locations, including the Municipal Offices) for details.

Children's Department

We offer a wide selection of programs for children.

Preschoolers: "Time for 2's and 3's" with Cathy Reesor.  Monday and Wednesday mornings.

Musical Moments: with Kathy Reid-Naimann. Thursday mornings.

Special Events: Watch for details of these programs in our monthly events brochure and in the local newspapers. Summer Reading Club has become a big hit.

Special Note to teachers: We are happy to be working on a monthly basis with many teachers and their classes from local schools. Please call the library if you wish to book a tour or have special research projects for your class. The Children's Department can help!

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Zephyr Library

No more driving into town! For your convenience, we now offer the following services at the Zephyr Library:

• Marriage, business and lottery license forms available
• Personal fax service

Help Keep Your Library a Vital Part of the Community....

• "Volumes of Giving" - a wonderful sculpture of larger than life-sized books designed to be inscribed with the names of special people, groups and businesses.
• Adopt-A-Book - Support a needy book by purchasing a book for the library. Be the first to read the book and also have your name inscribed on a special bookplate.
• Note Cards - Now available at our circulation desk are packages of four note cards designed by a local artist, Christine Chown. There are four cards with different sketches of scenes within the library. These card sets are available for a donation of $3.00.
• Library Book Bags - We have a new, very good quality canvas bag available for sale.

Please call the library at 905-852-9747 for further information about any of the above programs, or check the Library website at www.uxlib.com. The email address is uxlib@powergate.com.

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