Mission The James Library & Center for the Arts is housed in a landmark Victorian building in Norwell Center. We are dedicated to serving the community by providing high-quality programs, resources and materials through our concert series, art gallery, and the operation of our free lending library. Our mission is to foster the creation, appreciation and enjoyment of the arts for residents of all ages on the South Shore, while preserving our building’s historic character.

About the James

Welcome! The James Library and Center for the Arts is a non-profit organization offering programs in music, art and literature. Housed in a landmark 1874 Victorian building in historic Norwell Center, the James features a 90-seat concert hall, a free lending library and an art gallery featuring new exhibits each month.

In the 19th century the building housed the First Parish Church library and was the home to Norwell’s public library until 1973.

The James was recast as a community arts center in 1991 and today it offers concerts, music lessons and a range of cultural events. The James is totally self-supporting and relies on the active financial support from the community.

Uniquely personal, The James provides close interaction with the arts in a comfortable, intimate setting. It is located on the village green in the Norwell Historic District and is a welcome presence in the community.

The Library

The James Library complements the services of local public libraries by offering:

• Recreational reading offering current fiction and non-fiction.
• A local authors section.
• A family - friendly children’s area.
• A wide collection of local and regional genealogical resources, including Vital Records up to 1850 for over 100 Massachusetts towns, and New England marriages prior to 1700 (with maiden names not easily available elsewhere).
• A local history collection featuring the history of the North River.
• The Caroline Judd Collection of garden books, supported by the North River Gardeners.
• We also offer story times for children, a book club, a monthly poetry gathering and free wireless internet service.
• The Library is a member of the Southeastern Massachusetts Regional Library System and is staffed by a professional librarian and assistants.

Everyone is welcome to use the library, which is free and open to all, and there are no membership fees.

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(1874 ~ 2009)
Celebrating 135 years of Service to the Community

The James is the oldest library in Norwell and is located on the village green, adjacent to the historic Kent House and First Parish Church. The three-story building stands as one of the few examples of Victorian architecture in the Norwell Historic District.

Since 1874, the James has been a gathering place for scores of groups as diverse as the Young Ladies Union during the late 1870’s, to current community groups including the Norwell Garden Club, the Norwell Women’s Club, and the North River Commission.

The Rev. William N. Fish, Minister of the First Parish of Norwell from 1865 to 1885, conceived the idea of a library, at first for a collection of Sunday School children’s books and later for people of all ages.

His friend, Josiah L. James, a native of South Scituate who had moved “Out West” to Illinois to make his fortune, wrote that he would like to do something for his hometown and parish.  Reverend Fish reported to him the paramount need to expand the book collection.  A one thousand dollar donation from Mr. James was the result.  In short order it became clear that the closet in the church vestibule that held the books was totally inadequate and that a separate library building would be needed.

Rev. Fish made further appeals to Mr. James, who provided additional funds for the building project.  Israel Nash gave a plot of land near the church, valued at $300.  A public subscription drive netted $13,515, of which Josiah James gave $5,920.

Built by Leander Sherman of North Marshfield, the Italianate design included “Queen Anne style windows, which had not been seen in such novel appearance anywhere in the district”.  The building was dedicated at a service on May 1, 1874, and named in honor of its earliest and most generous contributor, Josiah L. James.

The new James Library was ideal for a book depository, as well for parish meetings, Sunday school classes, church suppers, and committee meetings. It soon became a public meeting place for many local organizations:  the Reading Circle, the Boy Scouts, Ladies Sewing Circle, the Young People’s Christian Union, arts and crafts groups, the Norwell Historical Society, the Couples Club and others, as well as becoming Norwell’s first public lending library.

By 1990, the Friends of the James Library and the Trustees broadened the scope of activities to more fully realize the James’ potential for service to the community.

In 1991 a series of Literary Teas called “Sunday Afternoon at the James” were inaugurated featuring author events and book signings.  By 1994, a grand piano was purchased and the second floor became a “Victorian concert hall”.  Musicians ranging from piano students to members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra perform to capacity audiences.

A major renovation of the lower level created a bright, intimate art gallery where area artists exhibit their work.  The James was thus recast as a community arts center, and continues today to provide quality arts programming in a Victorian setting.

The James Library and Center for the Arts is self-supporting and dependent on financial support from the local business community, individual donations and ticket revenue. It would not exist without the help of all those who have generously supported the James with both their time and donations.

 
A Brief History of the James Library
By Sally Turner

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