Around the Civil War, Elizabeth Graves Jefferson & Caroline Martin Goss opened a Ladies Library at the Jefferson home. The house still stands at 1109 Third Street. The collection of 500 books and periodicals was donated to the official city library when it opened in 1904.

Local leaders George Kline, William Phipps, and James Andrews led the charge to establish an official city library. The Hudson Public Library was constructed in 1904 with a $12,000 Carnegie grant. The building still stands at the corner of Locust and Third Street.

Local leaders George Kline, William Phipps, and James Andrews led the charge to establish an official city library. The Hudson Public Library was constructed in 1904 with a $12,000 Carnegie grant. The building still stands at the corner of Locust and Third Street.

A lack of space and accessibility issues led the city to move the library in 1995. The building at 911 Fourth Street (now 901 Fourth Street) served as the library’s home until 2010.

The City of Hudson, the Village of North Hudson, and the Towns of Hudson and St. Joseph form a new joint library funding structure.

The City of Hudson, the Village of North Hudson, and the Towns of Hudson and St. Joseph form a new joint library funding structure.

As the community grew, so did library use. Patrons wanted more space plus visual appeal, natural light, and a more functional layout.  A space assessment done in 2006 revealed the library was far below minimum standards for the size of its community. The city purchased the 700 First Street building to be shared by the library and police. The new Hudson Area Public Library opened in 2010.

On September 17th, a storm devastated the building. High winds tore off the roof of the nearby Beach House and catapulted it into the library’s iconic wall of windows. It took almost two years to repair the damage and replace what was lost.

On September 17th, a storm devastated the building. High winds tore off the roof of the nearby Beach House and catapulted it into the library’s iconic wall of windows. It took almost two years to repair the damage and replace what was lost.

The joint library partnership dissolved, meaning the tax structure would change. The library’s service would not. 

The library became a municipal library but continued to serve the same regional patrons, around 35,000 residents.

The library became a municipal library but continued to serve the same regional patrons, around 35,000 residents.

With the library splitting at the seams, it was time to turn to the community for input. The Foundation and Board approved a Community Needs Assessment from Library Strategies, which included a community survey. They received almost a 1,000 replies–well over the amount hoped for!–and presented their findings in May.

Continuing their research, the Library Board and Foundation hired Leo A. Daly, an architectural firm based in St. Paul, to come up with some renovation and expansion options based on the library’s current space, future growth, and the community’s input from the Library Strategies survey.

Continuing their research, the Library Board and Foundation hired Leo A. Daly, an architectural firm based in St. Paul, to come up with some renovation and expansion options based on the library’s current space, future growth, and the community’s input from the Library Strategies survey.

With community input gathered and professional solutions designed, it was time to learn if the library could raise sufficient funds to fulfill the community’s requests and library size guidelines. American City Bureau is “the nation’s oldest fundraising firm,” and they are well-equipped to determine what futures are possible for the Hudson Library.

Depending on the renovation of their acquired building, the Hudson police are planning to move sometime in 2026.

Depending on the renovation of their acquired building, the Hudson police are planning to move sometime in 2026.

The Library has been a beloved and vital part of Hudson for over 125 years. As the community grows, so does the Library’s commitment to its patrons. That means more programs, books, technology, nontraditional items, meeting spaces, and above all, more local connection.