The third floor of the museum is where the beautiful Dunham Hall Library is located. It has two fireplaces and vaulted timbered ceilings. The Library houses a unique collection of resources, children’s titles, craft books and much more in a reading room setting. There are materials on mills, immigration, textiles, and local and Connecticut history.
- Named after Austin Dunham – Mill Founder & Owner
- Willimantic’s First Library
- Opened March 2nd, 1878
- It was uncommon to have a library and to educate the masses
- Built with Civil War profits
- Built to benefit the workers
- Benevolent project for the whole community
- Used as a night school to teach English lessions, singing classes, reading & writing
- Used for research
- Reflects wealth & influence after Civil War
- An important part of Americanization of immigrant mill workers
- Also used as an Episcopalian Chapel to try to shake the Irish from their Catholic habits
