History of Newark Public Library

The Newark Public Library was chartered in 1897 with the help of Reverend Charles W. Tomlinson. However, it was Henry C. Rew who presented his family's homestead site at the corner of Mason and High Streets for the library's location.

You can see photos of these men on either side of the High Street door as you exit the library. Tomlinson is on the left and Rew is on the right.

The cornerstone of the building was laid in October of 1900.The northeast wing was added in 1937, while the northwest wing was added in 1954 for additional library space and to house the Hoffman Clock Museum. The children's room in the lower level was constructed in 1963.

The addition in 1989, after years of investing and planning, increased the total library space to 16,500 square feet. We automated in 1991 and in 1995 we provided the first public access computer in the Pioneer Library system. The Teen Spot was created in 2002 to provide for the growing demand to provide space and library services and materials to area teenagers. In 2006, we districted our library to gain tax support from the residents of the Newark School District.