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The Freeman Building

In 1873, the Provincetown Public Library was given to the town by Nathan Freeman. Mr. Freeman stipulated in his deed that the first floor must always be used for a Library. Over the years, the second and third floors were used by various charitable organizations. Some of the rental income helped to Support the Library. Local photographer George C. Nickerson was the first to occupy the third floor. His work may be seen under the banner of the Provincetown Advocate, and hundreds of his photographic plates are owned by the Town of Provincetown as part of the Heritage Museum collection. By 1888, the top floor of the Library became the meeting place of a temperance society, the Chequocket Lodge No. 76.

Architecturally, the Library's two sloped mansard roof, popularized by 16th century French Architect Francois Mansard, is one of the few in Provincetown to escape modernization over the years. In 1976, the Library was nominated to the National Historic Register.

The Library has undergone three extensive renovations. The most recent, to make the library handicapped accessible by adding an elevator and a handicapped accessible rest room. In 1985, the Library became a full member of CLAMS, the Cape Library Automated Materials. Sharing and went on-line in June 1996.

Today, the Library's collection of 30,882 volumes fills all three floors, and the Library offers both traditional print resources and state of the art high speed internet access. As the present Library facility continues to bursts at the seams, the Board of Library Trustees is raising the funds to move the Library to its new home, 356 Commercial Street. In April 2005, the Library moved to its present Center Street location.

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