Guilford Free Library - Mimi Morton

About

The Guilford Free Library is one of the oldest continuously operating public libraries in Vermont. It was founded in 1890 as the result of a bequest from Cynthia King. The money she left to the town of Guilford, Vermont was for the purchase of books. The catch, the town would have to build or acquire a building. The current home of the library was built in 1891 on land owned by William Barney. The cost of the building was $300. The Guilford Free Library opened on July 2, 1892.There is information that, prior to this, the town of Guilford maintained a small public library from approximately 1790 to 1815. This certainly makes the town of Guilford one of the earliest supporters of literature in the nation.

Students interview Marjorie "Mimi" Morton

Writer Marjorie 'Mimi' Morton (1946 - 2021) was the first subject of a series of audio interviews the library hopes to build upon as part of the Brattleboro Words Trail. She recently completed her two final books, "Before the Age of Reason, a Memoir of Racism", and a collection of her superb short stories (due out 2021).

Research & Production

Community Researcher: Lynn Green

Editor: John Shaw

Student interviewer: Trevor LeClaire

Writer/Voice: Mimi Morton

Ongoing Development and Involvement:

As a community-created project, we encourage ongoing dialogue, questions, and engagement. If you would like to be involved in future developments, have information or a perspective that could deepen others' understanding of this topic, please contact us