Chiswick Library covered in ivy shortly after moving
to Dukes Ave in1898. This building was put up in 1882
as a home for Arthur Sanderson, who owned the
wallpaper factory next door. In an act of extreme
generosity prompted by Queen Victoria's Golden
Jubilee, the tycoon donated the property to the
community for use as a public library, replacing
a previous cramped facility in Duke Rd. Initially,
the building still looked like a private house.
It was open seven days a week but readers could
only borrow one book at a time ordering them
from a catalogue. In 1921 the shelves were
opened up for readers to browse in person and
a small museum of local history was opened in
the building. Disaster struck in 1928 when a
fire destroyed the wallpaper factory and severely
damaged the library. It was closed for over two
years. While shut, the opportunity was taken to
build a large two storey extensive on the left side.
The future of the library has been controversial
over recent years, with local opposition to plans
to move it into the basement of the building.
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Last Updated: 21st NOVEMBER 2005
