The DAR Library Jubilee

As your Librarian General, I wanted to share just a tidbit of the remarkable 75-year history of our stunning, world class DAR Library in its Memorial Continental Hall location. As we begin celebrating its Jubilee year, my hope is that you will enjoy learning more about how this incredible space evolved throughout the years as we share, weekly, more moments of “Then and Now” and “Did you Know” (coming soon) on our DAR Library Facebook.

Today, people are sitting in this absolutely magnificent room doing the very same thing that many of us have done for years, whether they are researchers, genealogists, prospective members, those searching for supplemental Patriots, or, like me, simply enjoy sitting on a stool in the middle of the aisle reading.  All are appreciative of the efforts of thousands upon thousands of Daughters who have contributed books or monies enabling our present library collection to grow to over 200,000 books and items.

Having a library to house its resources and authentic records was so important to our young National Society that it was brought before the very First Continental Congress in 1892.  Four years later, the National Society received over 500 applications, and the DAR Library was established to assist researchers in processing those apps.  The very first Librarian General, Dr. Anita Newcomb McGee, was a member of the Mary Washington Chapter, District of Columbia. She and other volunteers began with just 125 books housed in a rented office space on F Street. When Memorial Continental Hall was completed in 1910, the library was moved to its north wing. This space is the twin of the O’Byrne Gallery and now houses the Genealogy Department.

After 20 years, this library space in Constitution Hall was totally inadequate for the increased number of books, maps, and other specialty research materials.  Memorial Continental Hall’s auditorium sat largely empty due to the new DC fire codes which had been put into place, making it impossible to rent out or to be used as an auditorium venue.President General Estella Armstrong O’Byrne was determined to find new ways of using all available spaces.

Plans were researched to possibly move the DAR Library to the auditorium. The main concern was retrofitting the space as a fully functioning library while keeping the magnificent elements of the historic venue. Many members still had very fond memories of it in full use and thought it would be a sacrilege to renovate it for the library’s use in the post war style of the late 1940s.

The delegates voted and approved the renovation and in 1949, the DAR Library was formally moved to the auditorium of Memorial Continental Hall. They achieved their goal of protecting the historic elements by only removing the first-floor seating and raising the floor to the stage height, leaving the tiered balconies, side opera boxes, the Baltimore clock and lay lights intact.  I like to think of this as DAR’s first historic preservation project at National Headquarters.

I hope your interest has been piqued and you will join us throughout the year as we celebrate this milestone in the history of our DAR Library during its Jubilee Year!  We have a stunning new pin designed by the President General which replicates the cartouche below the large eagles on the balcony boxes.  We hope to see you wearing yours proudly at Continental Congress this summer for our Jubilee Celebration! We’ll see you then!