The Library Vault

Dear Lord … are we all expected to do one of these now? How tedious.

Oh, very well. The radiator insists it is important for posterity. He has been repeating that argument since my installation, and after 150 years I have learned that it is often easier to let him have his way.

Since you are documenting the rainbow’s story, I suppose mine should be recorded as well. The rainbow has only been here for fifty years. I have been observing Russell Library since its beginning.

I am Stanford, one of the stained glass windows on Russell Library’s third floor. No, I am not part of the original church building. My twin sister, Anastasia, and I were part of Mrs. Frances Russell’s redesign of the church in the Roman Gothic style for the library. That woman had a vision, and we were an essential part of her design.

Mrs. Russell was a congregant of Christ Church when it was located on the corner of Court and Broad Streets. When the church relocated to Main Street in 1873, she purchased this building for $15,000, about $370,000 in today’s dollars. She spent another $39,000 to renovate the building, which would be over $1,000,000 today. The budget was spent on building the library’s tower, adding brownstone to the exterior, and installing fourteen stained glass windows. 

Anastasia and I are the only stained glass windows to bear the Russell Library family crest, which is an honor and a responsibility. We carry the Russell family motto: Che Sera Sera, Whatever Will Be Will Be. The family crest also includes a red lion, for nobility; scalloped sea shells, for travel; and a white goat, which signifies perseverance and the ability to succeed due to diplomacy rather than battle. Admirable traits, so say we all. 

Those early days were glorious. Mrs. Russell had books shipped from Europe to serve as the library’s first collection. She spent $6,000, about $150,000 in today’s dollars, on this first set of books. Titles included C.L. Eastlake’s A History of the Gothic Revival (essential), Lord Byron’s Poetical Works (diverting), and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (witty), to name a few. To obtain a card, one had to be fourteen years old and could take out one book at a time. If the book wasn’t returned by its due date, the librarian would charge a fine of two cents per day.

In addition, there were rules of decorum. They were quite explicit. Visitors were expected to remain quiet, behave respectfully, and refrain from marking the books or furniture. Seriously … is that really too much to ask? The librarian was instructed to inspect every returned volume for damage and “rigidly enforce” the regulations. 

Back then, there were standards. I understand that things are more casual now, but honestly. I don’t think it’s too much to ask people to wear shoes in the building. And smartphones! A complete misnomer if you ask me. Most of the conversations people have on them aren’t worth overhearing. 

Not that the library was quiet all of the time back then. About half of the space was a dedicated performance hall. There were regular events, including lectures and recitals. 

In 1923, the library director, Edna Wilder, established a “children’s corner,” in the reading room. Why we needed to encourage children to come to the library, I will never understand. They are loud and unruly with sticky hands. Completely inappropriate for a library, in my opinion. Fortunately, the library built the children their own room in 1929, which contained the chaos.

By the 1940s, Broad Street had changed significantly. Automobiles replaced the more civilized horse and carriage transportation of the previous century. My view of the river became cluttered with houses, stores, and other buildings. The world was at war, and everyone participated, including me. My majestic panes were painted over as precaution in case of air raids. It was a bother … and sticky … but I was willing to do my part. I had to rely on the radiator to keep me updated. He’s always been forthcoming, but his perspective is someone limited due to his … short stature.

The library continued to grow. By the 1950s, the book collection had grown so prodigious that the library had to build a mezzanine level. It has a glass floor, which is clever, but it breaks the elegant vertical lines of the reading room. In the 1970s, Middletown purchased the bank building on Broad Street and remodeled it into a separate children’s library. That suited me just fine. The further away the children were, the better. In 1974, the library hired a specialist to restore me and the other stained glass windows to our former glory. That person left a few spots, but overall it felt good to show my true colors once again. 

In 1981, Middletown joined our historic building with that stubby little bank building filled with children. Honestly. The reading room was a mess – dust, noise, and the sounds of workmen banging around all day. It was chaos. They built a second mezzanine and people would actually come up to me and touch me. So presumptuous!

The architectural firm Hardy, Holzman, Pfeiffer and Associates was proud of its eclectic style. They called themselves “early guerillas in the war against glass boxes & hygienic interiors.” Why you would want gorillas redesigning the library I have no idea. The design included, “kaleidoscopic color, aggressive ductwork, memorabilia, and ragged composition.” Personally, I thought the “aggressive ductwork” left much to be desired, stylistically speaking. Still the Russell family motto is Che Sera Sera. One cannot spend forty years arguing with ductwork. He’s actually quite amiable, once you get to know him.

From my vantage point, I could see some of the changes downtown. My view was seriously obstructed by the MiddleOak Insurance high rise in 1989. Che Sera Sera. I suppose. Its predecessor, the Middlesex Mutual Assurance Company, built in 1927, is much more handsome (and shorter). It is also much more generous with its Main Street gossip. In 2011, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named it “The Most Romantic Main Street” in the country. I confess it is rather attractive now. Though I still find it amusing that one of the more fashionable wine bars occupies what used to be a J.C. Penney. Che Sera Sera, indeed.

For all my complaints, I will admit that I have grown accustomed to this place. Generations of readers have relaxed and studied beneath me. Children who once raced through the library with sticky hands returned years later with children of their own. People have come in out of the cold and stayed to warm up. Librarians came and went. Entire sections of the city changed beyond recognition. Through it all, the library endured. 

There have been discussions about building a new library. Apparently, the public cannot imagine Russell Library without this old building on Broad Street.

I find that reassuring.

I expect I shall remain here for the foreseeable future, watching, listening, and occasionally judging.

Che Sera Sera.

References:

1. r/ConnecticutILovePublicLibraries (2023). Russell Library in Middletown, CT. Reddit. https://tinyurl.com/53drw5bh
2. Christ Church, 1834. Russell Library Document Collection.
3. Russell Library. The Connecticut Quarterly. Vol. 4, No. 1. January, February 1898.
4. Che Sera Sera Window Photo. Kimberly Spachman, 2026.
5. Excerpt of Correspondence from Mrs. Frances Russell, Russell Library Collection, 1875.
6. “Songs and Readings.” Russell Library Document Collection, 1884.
7. “Children’s Corner.” –Russell Library Photo Collection, 1923.
8. View of Broad Street. The Connecticut Quarterly. Vol. 4, No. 1. January, February 1898.
9. Che Sera Sera Window Rendering. [Generated with AI]. Kimberly Spachman, 2026.
10. r/ConnecticutILovePublicLibraries (2023). Russell Library in Middletown, CT. Reddit. https://tinyurl.com/53drw5bh
11. r/ConnecticutILovePublicLibraries (2023). Russell Library in Middletown, CT. Reddit. https://tinyurl.com/53drw5bh
12. Hill, Jessica (July 29, 2025). “Your Guide to Exploring Middletown, Higganum & Beyond.” Connecticut Wedding Group Blog Post. https://tinyurl.com/ydcb4cdh
13. r/ConnecticutILovePublicLibraries (2023). Russell Library in Middletown, CT. Reddit. https://tinyurl.com/53drw5bh
14. Silver, Petrucelli, and Associates, Russell Library Conceptual Drawing, 2025.