The Seymour Library Association was established in 1876 with a bequest from the estate of James S. Seymour, former president of the National Bank of Auburn. For many years, the library was located on the second floor of the Auburn Savings Bank Building, and charged borrowers an annual fee to help defray operating costs. In 1896, Willard E.Case approached the Library’s Board of Trustees and offered to build a new library, provided that the building be known as the Case Memorial, in memory of his parents.
The trustees happily accepted, and work began on the Case Memorial in 1901. Designed by the New York City firm of Carrere and Hastings, the building took two years to complete, with much of the woodwork being done by European craftsmen. The Seymour Library moved to the Case Memorial in 1903.
An expansion and remodeling program was completed in 1973, providing increased shelving capacity for 120,000 volumes. A second building project in 1993 enlarged the overall size of the Case Memorial to 19,400 square feet, and provided a new entrance with easier access, an elevator, and security system. All capitol expenditures have been borne by private giving. The Case Memorial Building is the property of the Seymour Library Foundation, Inc., and is leased at no cost for use by the Seymour Public Library District. Since 1980, the Library has been listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
