Next up on our 2026 journey across the County, we have the West Team, which like the Central Team, also has two branches.
This month we’re stopping in Bayfield. The Bayfield Library was first established in 1915, one more rare start that wasn’t a Mechanics Institute. A committee was formed that year to request the use of a room for a library in the farmhouse of one Archie Galbraith, which was located just north of the village. Book circulation reached 654 in that first year.
The location beyond the village limits, though, proved unpopular. Just a few years later, in 1918, it was decided that the library would be moved to Harry Drehman’s Tailor Shop on Main Street. However, it was reported that Harry made a “muddle” of the books, whatever that means, and so just two years later, in 1920, the library was moved again, this time to a room in Thomas King’s Bakery. When this happened, the collection of books was increased to 575, and circulation jumped to 2,875.
Unfortunately, shortly after this growth, disaster struck. In 1922, the bakery burned, destroying the library and all the books within it. Thomas King’s house and shop were also lost. The local paper at the time called it the “worst fire that has yet occurred in Bayfield”. A large crowd gathered outside the blaze, but a lack of firefighting equipment rendered them helpless as they watched the buildings go up in flames. Dr. Wood’s house next door was in danger several times, but thanks to the huge piles of snow that were around at the time, the doctor’s house escaped unscathed.
Libraries were unfortunate in those early days, with several meeting their end as a result of fires. Who knew so many libraries burned in Huron County?
As a result of the fire that claimed Thomas King’s Bakery, the library was forced to find accommodations in the Fowlie Store at the corner of Main and Catherine Streets.
During the 1930s, the library board shifted from a clergy-driven organization to a mostly female board. As a result, books with a “wider and more liberal array of themes” were purchased. It didn’t take long for this change to see an increase in library usage. By 1941, the library’s circulation had increased to average between 4,000 and 5,000 books being checked out every year.
Fast forward to what turned out to be a major year for the Bayfield Library, 1949. The first big change that year was another move, this time to the E.A. Featherstone home on Louisa Street where there were more spacious quarters.
The second change was a matter of finance. It was decided that in order to save the salary of a full-time librarian, board members would volunteer for a given day of the week to supervise the library. This was fairly common in those days, so I’ve been told.
This practice of volunteers running the library continued for almost 20 years. It wasn’t until 1968, the year that the Bayfield Library joined the new Huron County Library system, that a Branch Supervisor was hired.
Shortly after this happened, circulation skyrocketed. In 1968, 5,500 books were borrowed. By 1976, this total had more than doubled to 12,800. Quite the increase in less than 10 years!
Shortly before this, in 1964, the library had been moved into the Erwin/Thom’s building on the west side of Main Street. The building was given as a gift to be used as a library by Dorothy and Harold Ormond. Quite generous of them!
Once again, though, this location wasn’t permanent either. In 1977, the Bayfield Library was moved again, this time to another location on Main Street. The land was donated by Jessie Metcalf, a summer resident from Detroit. But instead of moving to an existing building, the existing building was moved to the donated lot. The 18 by 28 foot Georgian building, which dated back to 1893, was moved down Main Street on a truck and placed on the lot, which happened to be next to the post office. Once there, the 19th century building had a $30,000 renovation done. The original section of the building became an archives room, while the new part housed the library. This “new” library featured improved heating, lighting, and the addition of washrooms.
As the years passed, the needs of the library grew. Shortly after the turn of the 21st century, the space was proving too small for those needs, so in 2011, municipal council voted to construct a new library. This was thanks in part to the multi-million dollar grant from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs that was mentioned in the History of Zurich Library post. Huron County received $7.5 million from the grant, and $1.3 million dollars was used to build the new Bayfield library.
On June 12, 2012, the Bayfield Post Office building on Main Street was demolished to make way for the new Bayfield Branch. Just seven months later, in January of 2013, the new location was ready for use. The old library in the Georgian building was closed for a week while the move took place. The new building has outdoor access to public washrooms and post office boxes. It also features a community room and a large fireplace. The new location opened on January 14, 2013, and the library has been there ever since.
