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30-597: Morris Ketchum Jesup , born in 1830 to a country doctor, amassed a fortune in the railroad business and became the benefactor of the library, donating the land and $ 5,000 for the building. In April 1908, the Westport Public Library was completed at a cost of $ 75,000 and dedicated to the custody of the Westport Library Association by Jesup's wife, following the wishes of her husband who died four months earlier. In June 1984, plans were announced to build

60-623: A financier, retiring from active business in 1884. Before his retirement, he was already active in a wide variety of philanthropic endeavors. Jesup was one of the organizers of the United States Christian Commission during the Civil War , which helped provide care for wounded soldiers. He was one of the founders of YMCA New York, and served as its president in New York in 1872. After 1860 he helped found and served as president of

90-518: A new library on a site adjacent to Jesup Green on the Saugatuck River . Considerable discussion took place about how to raise the money for the new library and the proposed site, a former landfill. After a referendum was approved, the new library was built for $ 4.6 million and opened on Labor Day of 1986. As popularity of the library increased, another renovation and expansion was completed in 1998. The improvements included an innovative project called

120-590: A nurse after serving with the Union Army as a soldier, spy, and as a male nurse under the name "Franklin Thompson." According to an 1868 account, 45 men and 3 women members of the U.S.C.C. died during the Civil War. The USCC participated in a religious revival within the Union Army between 1863 and 1865. Converts numbered between 100,000 and 200,000 men. The National Civil War Chaplains Museum at Liberty University has

150-639: A period when the city was struggling to aid many poor immigrants from rural areas of southern and eastern Europe, including the Russian Empire. The Woman's Hospital in New York City received $ 100,000. He was best known as a patron of scientific research: Jesup was a major contributor to fund the Arctic expeditions of Robert Peary . He was elected president of the Peary Arctic Club in 1899. Jesup also funded

180-497: A state park, but left the issue of timber-cutting ambiguous. The state's constitutional convention in 1894, an amendment to fully protect the trees of the park was unanimously approved by a vote of 122 to 0. It went into full affect in 1895. Jesup also served as trustee for the Syrian Protestant College (American University of Beirut) from 1884 to 1892, and board chair from 1893 to 1908. He also built "Post Hall", which

210-545: Is home to the university's Archaeological Museum and Geology Department. Jesup was president of the New York Chamber of Commerce from 1899 until 1907, and was the largest subscriber to its new building. Jesup was a member of the Jekyll Island Club (aka The millionaires Club) on Jekyll Island, Georgia along with J.P. Morgan and William Rockefeller among others. To his native town he donated funds to construct

240-921: The Five Points House of Industry in New York, a type of settlement house in Lower Manhattan to teach new European immigrants the skills needed in the United States. In 1881, he became president of the New York City Mission and Tract Society. He donated the funds for construction of the Society's DeWitt (his father-in-law) Memorial Church in Rivington Street on the Lower East Side , a center of immigrant settlement. Jesup contributed funds and worked personally to better social conditions in New York, in

270-778: The General Education Board . He gave $ 51,000 to the Yale Divinity School; to Yale University, he gave the Landbery Arabic manuscripts, for which he had paid $ 20,000. Williams College received $ 35,000. He presented Jesup Hall to the Union Theological Seminary . In 1881, he was appointed president of the American Museum of Natural History , in New York City, to which he gave large sums in his lifetime and bequeathed $ 1,000,000. In 1883 he became chairman of

300-656: The Hudson River School and more at the time of his wife's death in 1915. Jesup contributed to educational institutions. His contributions to Tuskegee Institute enabled George Washington Carver to develop a mobile educational station that he took to farmers. Jesup was treasurer of the John F. Slater Fund for the Education of Freedmen at its beginning. He served as a member of the Peabody Educational Board and of

330-620: The Jesup North Pacific Expedition (1897-1902), a major ethnographic project led by the anthropologist Franz Boas . He was also an important patron and collector of the visual arts, perhaps best remembered for his support of Frederic Edwin Church , which resulted in the 1871 masterwork The Parthenon that came into the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art with Jesup's substantial bequest of many important paintings of

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360-570: The Stamford , New Haven Colony , an early settler in Middleburg, Long Island , now Elmhurst, Queens . Edward later became owner of a large estate in what is now Hunts Point, Bronx . In 1842 he went to New York City , where after some experience in business, he established a banking house in 1852. In 1856 he organized the banking firm of MK Jesup & Company, which after two reorganizations became Cuyler, Morgan & Jesup. He became widely known as

390-688: The Westport Public Library . In 1854, Morris married Maria van Antwerp DeWitt (1834–1914). Maria was a daughter of Rev. Thomas DeWitt Jr., who was the pastor of the Collegiate Dutch Church in New York City for forty years. Her sister, Mary Elizabeth DeWitt, was the wife of Theodore Cuyler, general counsel for the Pennsylvania Railroad , and mother to Thomas DeWitt Cuyler among others. Jesup died on January 22, 1908, aged 77, at 107 Madison Avenue, his home in New York City and

420-469: The "River of Names," a wall of small handmade tiles, paid for individually by donors, depicting local history. By the year 2000, the library was the second busiest in the state in terms of circulation per capita, averaging 1,200 visitors a day. Embracing a trend in expanding the role of libraries, the library opened a makerspace in 2012, a structure with 3D printers and other tools for people to create inventions and learn about new technology. The name of

450-454: The "Transformation Project." The renovation lasted two years, and the library was reopened on June 23, 2019. The library houses a recording studio, Verso Studios. The studio's Verso Records label is expected to release an album, Verso Records, Volume One , on June 3, 2023, which it claims is "the first vinyl record ever to be recorded, produced and released by a public library". As a "forum for civic engagement and an incubator of new ideas,"

480-670: The Christian Commission. Though USCC organizers were hesitant to allow women to go into hospital service under the auspices of the Commission, women found ways to participate. A national movement started in May 1864 with a view to organizing a Ladies Christian Commission in each evangelical congregation of the North as an auxiliary to the USCC. Increasing the network of collection, fundraising and support

510-517: The Library provides many books and resources geared to fundraising , social entrepreneurship , and non-profit organizations . An example of a book about social entrepreneurship is the memoir, "Start Something that Matters" by Blake Mycoskie, the founder of the global footwear giant, Toms Shoes . The Library has the distinction of being a Funding Information Network partner of the Foundation Center ,

540-709: The U.S. Sanitary Commission in providing medical services. The Christian Commission was created in response to what the troops suffered in the First Battle of Bull Run . On November 14, 1861, the National Committee of the YMCA called a convention which met in New York City . Leaders outlined the work needed to support the soldiers, the design for the United States Christian Commission, whose organization

570-589: The USCC during the Battle of Gettysburg . During the evening of July 2, John assisted at the medical field station set up for his brothers' regiment, the 20th Maine. John filed a report to the central office, describing the activities of the USCC at Gettysburg. This report is found in Chamberlain's Christian Commission diary, kept during the battle of Gettysburg and is recorded in Edinborough Press' book, Gettysburg and

600-449: The USCC was to help the clergy of the armed services in their daily work, as the chaplaincy program was in its infancy, with only some 30 members, who were quickly overwhelmed by the scale of battles and casualties, and especially by the rapidly increasing number of deaths due to wounds and more so to disease. John Calhoun Chamberlain, brother of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and Thomas Chamberlain , heroes of Little Round Top , served with

630-472: The four months of 1865. It represented both citizens' recognition of need and a more efficient organization. The Ladies Christian Commission (LCC) played a critical role in this success. Louisa May Alcott was among many women who worked with the Commission. Others included Georgia McClellan , the sister of Jenny Wade, the only civilian killed during the Battle of Gettysburg, and Sarah Emma Edmonds , who worked as

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660-459: The library was changed to The Westport Library. In 2013, the library received a $ 246,545 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services for the enhancement of the makerspace. In 2014, the library became the first library in the nation to use humanoid robots for the purpose of teaching computer programming. In September 2017, ground was broken on a renovation project for the library, dubbed

690-548: The lumberman on the newly created state Forest Commission. In response, in 1890, as president of the New York State Forestry Association, Jesup's group was one of many to propose new bills whose purpose was to create an Adirondack park. Downriver businessmen did not want any lumbering activities in the proposed park area. In 1892, Governor Flower signed the Adirondack Park Enabling Act, creating

720-399: The nation's leading authority on organized philanthropy. A Grants Center section provides additional guides and manuals for becoming effective fundraisers for causes of all types and sizes. 41°08′27″N 73°21′42″W  /  41.1408°N 73.3616°W  / 41.1408; -73.3616 Morris Ketchum Jesup Morris Ketchum Jesup (June 21, 1830 – January 22, 1908),

750-634: The newly formed Forestry Committee of the New York Chamber of Commerce , tasked with "saving the woods and waters of the State [i.e.New York]," an early step in a process that eventually led to the creation of New York State's Adirondack Park in 1894. New York City business interests at the time were fearful that deforestation of the Adirondacks would ruin the Hudson River waterways upon which their business

780-406: Was an American banker and philanthropist . He was the president of the American Museum of Natural History and was known as a leading patron of scientific research and an eminent art collector, particularly towards his support for Frederic Edwin Church . Morris Jesup was born at Westport, Connecticut in 1830, the son of Charles Jesup and Abigail Sherwood. He was descended from Edward Jessup of

810-614: Was buried in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. United States Christian Commission The United States Christian Commission (USCC) was an organization that furnished supplies, medical services, and religious literature to Union troops during the American Civil War . It combined religious support with social services and recreational activities. It supplied Protestant chaplains and social workers and collaborated with

840-543: Was completed next day. Two of the founding members were Vincent Colyer , who was appalled by the aftermath of the battle of Bull Run, and George Stuart, a well-to-do businessman. The YMCA and Protestant ministers formed the USCC. Its five thousand volunteers ("delegates") included seminary students, but many were just concerned Christians. As civilians on the battlefield, they did not carry weapons. They distributed more than $ 6 million worth of goods and supplies in hospitals, camps, prisons and battlefields. The original plan of

870-514: Was dependent. The Forestry Committee pressured the state legislature to purchase lands in the Adirondack forest, and proposed a model bill. The legislature did not authorize the purchase of lands, but set aside about 700,000 acres of state holdings from future sale. In 1885, Governor Hill signed a new bill into law creating a "Forest Preserve" in the Adirondacks, however, cutting rights were soon being sold to private companies and individuals, and even to

900-415: Was the way the organization responded to meet a growing demand to serve the soldiers. Annie Wittenmyer led dozens of female "lady managers" including Mary and Amanda Shelton, to begin diet kitchens in hospitals in the field to help reduce deaths related to poor quality diet in hospitals. The USCC continued to grow. More than three-quarters of the value of what it collected was distributed during 1864 and

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