The History of the Keyport Free Public Library

The cornerstone of the Keyport Free Public Library was laid on June 17, 1913, with Masonic ceremonies, and the building opened on March 31, 1914. The building’s facade, unchanged today, reads “Raritan Guard Public Library” and lists 1861 and 1913, hinting at its unique history. The story begins with the Raritan Guard, Company G of the Third Regiment Infantry, National Guard. The building’s inscription suggests 1861 as their origin, but historical records confirm their service during the 1877 railroad riots. Paid $1 per day by an 1878 legislative act, they used these funds, along with community donations, to build an armory on First Street in Keyport. Facing financial strain from a mortgage, taxes, and insurance, the group incorporated as the “Raritan Guard Library and Military Association” in 1885 to gain a tax exemption for public library associations under an 1884 New Jersey law. A small, underused library of state archives was housed in the armory to comply with this law until a fire destroyed the armory and its contents on March 28, 1909. Two years later, the Keyport Improvement Association (KIA) opened the first Keyport Free Public Library on October 1, 1911, in a small room on the second floor of a building at Main and Front Streets. Financed by the KIA and run by volunteers, it regularly circulated books. At a public meeting on December 11, 1911, at the First Baptist Church, a 95-member Free Public Library Association was established with a $1 annual membership fee. Nine trustees were elected, and the organization was later incorporated. The library’s popularity led to its relocation to a three-room apartment on First Street in January 1912. In September 1912, the first librarian was hired, but the larger space soon became overcrowded. After the 1909 fire, legal questions arose regarding the proceeds from the sale of the Raritan Guard’s First Street property. To avoid back taxes from 1885, the Raritan Guard Library and Military Association sold the property in September 1912, purchased a new lot at Broad and Third Streets, and built a new armory/library. On January 6, 1914, the Raritan Guard trustees offered the building to the Free Public Library Association, which moved its books and $750 in furnishings into the building by April 7, 1914. In November 1914, residents voted to transfer ownership of the books and furnishings to the Borough of Keyport. The Raritan Guard Association retained ownership of the building but sought to transfer the title to the Borough. A mortgage from the new building’s construction prevented this, as the Borough was unwilling to assume the debt. Instead, the Borough agreed to pay $300 annual rent and insurance costs. By 1917, the financial burden overwhelmed the Raritan Guard Association. Through efforts of the Mayor, Council, Free Public Library Association, and Women’s Auxiliary, funds were raised to pay off the mortgage. The trustees merged, with the Borough Library Board gaining majority control, and the building’s title was transferred to the Borough in February 1920. Tablets on the library grounds honor Keyport veterans of the Civil War and Spanish-American War, recognizing their role in the building’s history. The stained glass above the entrance reads “In Omnia Parati,” meaning “prepared for all things,” a fitting tribute to the Raritan Guard and the resilient spirit of Keyport today. —Compiled by the Keyport Historical Society and edited by KFPL staff