Burlington County Lyceum

Library History:

The Mount Holly Library, originally known as The Bridgetown Library, was chartered on June 11, 1765 by His Majesty George III of England, through William Franklin, then Governor-General of New Jersey. Bridgetown was the original name of Mount Holly, so named because of the many bridges crossing the Rancocas Creek. The library is the fifth oldest in the state.
The original collection, of about 100 books of scholarly and moral instruction, is part of the present Lyceum Collection, along with the actual charter document. Books were purchased by members of the library association and were circulated only among the members. Fiction books were deemed improper and were not allowed. The Library was located in the Town Hall until 1798 when the building was torn down. This was to be the first of many moves that the Library would make.

In 1860 the Library was officially renamed The Burlington County Lyceum of History and Natural Sciences. A membership group of 26 men each paid $5 for a share of stock and annual dues of $1. The purpose of this society was to pursue the study of state history and to cultivate the natural sciences.

Sixteen years later, in 1876, the Lyceum established a circulating library open to the public for a fee. In 1882 the Lyceum received an endowment from the estate of Nathan Dunn, a Mount Holly resident. This included his private library and a sum of $10,600. The Dunn Collection is part of the Lyceum Collection today.

In 1921 the Lyceum joined the newly formed County Library System and became a free lending library open to the residents of Mount Holly. A fundraising campaign was launched in 1957 to purchase the Langstaff Mansion at 307 High Street for the Library's permanent home. The Board of Trustees of the Lyceum manages the operation of the Mount Holly Library. The Library currently receives funding from municipal aid, public contributions, and fundraisers.