“The Thomas Beaver Free Library is one of the oldest, most historic and fascinating buildings in Danville.
Before the library was built, in 1886, the Reverend of Mahoning Presbyterian Church wanted to add a section to the church as reading rooms for the young men of Danville. But when Thomas Beaver got his hands on the idea, he decided creating an entire library, funded by him, would be more beneficial for the young men. During the cornerstone ceremony, his nephew, James A. Beaver, thought the library wasn’t enough. So the YMCA was added to the project as a recreation center.
Thomas Beaver was born in Perry County, so Danville was his adopted home town when he moved there in 1857. He took over the failing Montour Iron Works with another man and brought the business back to life. He also took over the Danville Stove and Manufacturing Co., making him one of the wealthiest men in Danville.
The two buildings were created by Charles Wetzel and built by Archibald Voris, both of whom were able to bring to life the Victorian Queen Anne style of architecture of that time within the grand buildings.”1
1Samantha Kern, “Unchanged since 1888: Thomas Beaver Library still has original flooring, architecture”, Danville News, Feb 25, 2016
