John Street
From Worcester Activist wiki
Also DR. JOHN GREEN
In late December 1859, Worcester received one of the finest Christmas presents a city could hope for.
A few months previously, Dr. John Green had told city officials that he and the Lyceum and Library Association were willing to give their libraries to the city. There were 7000 books in his library and 4500 in the association’s collection.
The collections were to be the nucleus of a free public library for Worcester. The city voted to accept on Dec. 23, 1859. An ordinance was passed, establishing the Free Public Library in the Worcester Bank block on Foster street.
In giving his books, Dr. Green had stipulated that the city buy a plot of land on Elm street for a new library. The land was purchased for $5042 and the cornerstone laid with full ceremony on July 4, 1860. The structure was finished in 1861 at a cost of $30,000 and opened to the public Sept. 4 of that year.
Dr. Green died four years later. In his will, he left $30,000 to endow the Green department of the library.
Dr. Green didn’t want the public running off with his books. As a result books from his original library cannot be taken from the building.
The city named John street in his honor in 1846.
The core of this article comes from A History of Your City Streets.
