Join us for More than Books: Libraries, Community & Historic Preservation an Illustrated Talk by William Hosley. For more information click here
The Farmington Village Green and Library Association (FVGLA) owns, operates and provides funding for Farmington’s Main Library, the Barney Library branch, Stanley-Whitman House museum, Memento Mori Cemetery and the Farmington Village Green.
These entities are significant resources for this area of Connecticut, and the association has maintained them for more than a century.
The FVGLA owns both the Farmington and Barney Library buildings and provides:
o Nearly 10% of the Farmington and Barney Libraries budgets, and works with the town to fund the remainder
o 25% of funding for Stanley-Whitman House museum
o 100% of funding to manage Memento Mori Cemetery, and
o 100% of the Village Green maintenance budget.
The association began in 1898 with a bequest from Sarah Porter, also the founder of Porter’s School. She donated land, funds for its maintenance, and then appointed trustees to create a tax-exempt association that would own the land, called the “Village Green,” and maintain it as a public park.
Over time, the association expanded. More properties were added to its holdings.
More residents became involved and offered support.
Today, nearly 40 trustees oversee the FVGLA and serve as ambassadors for
its mission:
To enhance the quality of life and preserve the cultural history of Farmington through the financial support and operation of the Farmington and Barney Libraries, Stanley-Whitman House museum, the Village Green, and Memento Mori Cemetery.