NEW ROCHELLE, NY (May 20, 2023) — There is a free community event set for today, Saturday, May 20th from 11 am to 1 pm at the Huguenot Children’s Library with music, crafts activities, balloon art, visits from costumed book characters, sidewalk chalk art, birthday cake and goody bags³⁴.
What is today the Huguenot Children’s Library was originally built in 1869 as a private home and was the city’s first brick residence. It was donated to the city in 1922 and became the Huguenot branch of the New Rochelle Public Library. ⁴
In 1992, the city faced a financial crisis and the decision was made to close the branch. However, a group of concerned citizens came together to write a different ending for the story of the little pink house. They proposed turning the abandoned library building into a children’s library and refurbishing the playground at Huguenot Park.
Over the next four years, they raised more than $350,000 and renovated the abandoned building adjacent to the park, creating Westchester County’s only freestanding children’s library. ⁴
Source: Conversation with Bing, 5/20/2023
(1) The New Rochelle Public Library Foundation. https://nrplfoundation.org/.
(3) . https://bing.com/search?q=Huguenot+Children%27s+Library+25th+birthday.
(4) Huguenot Children’s Library. https://nrpl.org/children/huguenot-childrens-library/.