Darwin R Barker Library Employee Directory

The Darwin R. Barker Library and Historical Museum have been an important center in the life of Fredonia, New York for over one-hundred years. The evolution of the library-museum is a complex one. Darwin R Barker, born in 1820, was the son of Leverett and Desire Barker. The homestead, located at 20 East Main Street, was built in 1821. D. R. Barker... married Helen Pettit in June of 1846 and became a partner in her family's business, which manufactured and sold Pettit's Eye Salve. The business was sold in 1879 for a goodly sum, and Darwin R. Barker became a local philanthropist greatly involved in causes and activities of the time. Throughout the 1800's, many individual groups attempted to organize a community reading room and library. The first libraries in the 1800's were organized and sustained by individual memberships. A fee was paid by persons wishing to borrow from a collection of books, making library use private and expensive. Libraries founded in Fredonia became more affordable in 1826, but they continued to charge fees.Read More