Vintage Photo: The Greystone Library

Greystone Library, Essex, NY (Postcard) (Source: Geo Davis via Rosslyn Redux)

We invited you to play Vintage Essex Trivia when we posted this vintage postcard on the Essex on Lake Champlain Facebook page last week, and asked the community to tell us what they knew about the building. We only received a few comments on this vintage postcard, though many liked the image.

Do you recognize this historic building? It’s Greystone Cottage or known today as the Belden Noble Memorial Library. As is noted in the photo it was and is sometimes colloquially referred to as the Greystone Library because of its greystone-constructed exterior.

This stone building is located opposite the Essex-Charlotte ferry dock on Main Street in Essex, NY. It was erected in 1818 by General Ransom Noble for use as a store and warehouse in conjunction with his tannery. During the mid-1800s, Adeline Noble used the tannery store space to house a private library, and the building was eventually deeded to the town and was named as a memorial after Adeline’s late husband, Belden Noble.

A recent photo of the Belden Noble Memorial Library in Essex, NY.

Learn more about its history here.

Time Provokes Changes

Do you notice any features in the above photograph that are missing or altered today? If you look to the left in the vintage photo you’ll see a fence, but that has been removed and replaced with a stone fence and the area further to the left now contains a community parking lot. The low stone wall on the right is missing today as are the benches in front.

Of course the most obvious missing aspect is the ivy covering the library. Though it makes a pretty picture that ivy has been tamed. Perhaps for aesthetic reasons or because of the damage it can sometimes do if it finds a crack? Do you know when it was removed and why?

Do you know anything else about the library or have any stories about spending time that you’d like to share? Have an idea of when the vintage photo may have been taken? Leave a note in the comments!

Vintage Postcard: Rosslyn/Essex Waterfront (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Stereoview: View from Essex Quarry (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Photo: Old Brick Store, Main Street, Essex, NY (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Stereoview: Main Street, Essex, NY (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
How do you doodle, Essex? (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Essex Post Office Information (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)

About Katie Shepard

Passionate about reading and writing stories, Katie Shepard enjoys discovering more about her home while writing and editing for Essex on Lake Champlain. Katie graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2011 where she studied English literature, philosophy, and Asian studies. Her first book Essex, New York Architecture: A Doodler's Field Guide was published in 2015. Connect with her on Facebook or at Linked.in. Or email her at katie [@] essexeditions [dot] com.