Mission & History
Mission Statement
The mission of the Lawrence Library is to provide quality
services, resources, and lifelong learning opportunities through
books and a variety of other formats to meet the informational,
educational, cultural, and recreational needs and interests of
Pepperell residents. Our mission helps connect people with
information, ideas and experiences to provide enjoyment, enrich lives
and strengthen our community.
The Trustees recently approved the Lawrence Library Long Range Plan FY 2025 - 2028 (with appendixes A, B, C, and D)
History
The Town of Pepperell is situated 35 miles northwest of Boston at the junction of the Nissitissit and Nashua Rivers adjacent to the New Hampshire border.
Pepperell’s first library, the Pepperell Social Library, was
established in 1795 and housed in the Town Hall. The Lawrence Library,
dedicated in 1901, was a gift of Charles Farrar Lawrence, who bequeathed
the funds for the purchase of the land, design, construction and the
furnishing of the building. The architects were Ernest Flagg and W.B.
Chambers. They are known for designing the Washington State Capitol
Building, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC; the Naval
Academy in Annapolis, Maryland; and St. Luke’s Hospital in NYC.
Since 1901, the Library has been home to Sidney M. Shattuck's (1876-1917) personal collection of over 100 local birds, all carefully mounted and labeled. They are on permanent display in the Lyceum or can be viewed online.
This beautiful watercolor painting of the library was done by artist Debra Reilly in 2001. A reproduction of it was gifted to the library in 2003, in memory of her son, Michael B. Hamilton.
Library Land Project
Read the review by Adam Zand and Greg Peverill-Conti
about the Lawrence Library.