Pepperell’s first library, the Pepperell Social Library, was established in 1795. 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 furnishing of the building. It was designed by architects Ernest Flagg and W.B. Chambers who are known for designing the Washington State Capitol Building in Olympia, Washington; Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC; the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland; and St. Luke’s Hospital in New York City.

The library is home to Sidney M. Shattuck’s (1876–1917) collection of 110 local birds, all carefully mounted and labeled. They are on permanent display in the Lyceum.

In 2018, the library opened an accessible spur trail in the back of the property that links to the Greens Brook Trail. The only one of its kind at a Massachusetts public library, the trail is accessible to people with motor and visual impairments. Later that year, the American Library Association named the Lawrence Library a Literary Landmark–one of only six in Massachusetts—in honor of children’s author and illustrator Barbara Cooney, who lived in Pepperell for many years. The Lawrence Library was featured prominently in her book Miss Rumphius.

Dedicated to providing the best possible support for the cultural and intellectual lives of Pepperell residents, the Lawrence Library ensures that all members of the community have free access to high-quality printed materials, media, electronic resources, and programs that will meet their informational, cultural, and recreational needs. The library provides meeting space for town affiliated boards and committees, and non-profit groups serving the cultural and intellectual interests of residents.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons