Looking for more information about us? Visit our website at http://libraries.4cls.org/walton/wordpress/
The library is named after William B. Ogden, a former Postmaster of Walton. Ogden Was elected to represent Delaware County in the state legislature in 1834. Later, he traveled west and helped establish the city of Chicago, subsequently serving as its first mayor. When he died in 1877, Ogden left funds for public purposes. Residents of the Walton community suggested an endowment for a library.
Construction of the library began in 1896 and was completed in 1897. It was designed by the firm Morris and Walker of New York City, and was built by Alexander Carman of Binghamton. It was constructed from native blue stone taken partly from the quarries in Marvin Hollow and Shepard Hill. It cost $13,500.
The library was opened to the public on January 29, 1899, and in 1984 it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Since then, several renovations and flood reparations have been made to increase the interior space and services without altering the historic structure.
The mission of the William B. Ogden Free Library is to enrich the literary and cultural lives of our community members, and to preserve the integrity of the historic structure of the William B. Ogden Library.
