The Howard Whittemore Memorial Library was built as a lasting memorial to John Howard Whittemore Jr., the beloved son of John Howard Whittemore. Born on February 24, 1872, Howard, as he was known to his family, passed away at just fifteen years of age on May 28, 1887. His death profoundly affected both his family and the Naugatuck community. A memorial plaque inside the library reflects this sense of loss and purpose, reading, “When death strikes down the innocent and young, for every fragile form from which he sets the panting spirit free, a hundred virtues rise in shapes of mercy, charity and love, to walk the world and bless it.”

In 1891, John Howard Whittemore commissioned the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White to design a public library that he would gift to the town of Naugatuck, along with an endowment, in honor of his son. The library was completed and formally dedicated on June 1, 1894. It was constructed on Church Street, three blocks south of the Whittemore family home, and oriented to face the Naugatuck Green, reinforcing its role as a civic and cultural landmark.

Architecturally, the library is a distinguished example of the Neo Classical Revival style, drawing strong inspiration from the Italian Renaissance. The design utilized the same plan as the firm’s Walker Art Gallery at Bowdoin College, another Neo Classical Revival library. The structure is built of pink Milford granite and embellished with buff terra cotta panels. Encircling the building is a prominent frieze carved with the names of renowned classical and modern authors, including Plato, Virgil, Dante, Goethe, Shakespeare, and Tennyson, among others.

The grand entrance is defined by a portico framed with fluted Ionic columns and bronze lampstands. Above the entrance, the roof is crowned by a low drum encircled with anthemion antefixae, with a larger antefix positioned above the pediment, adding refined classical detail to the exterior.

Inside, the library is organized around a central rotunda, conceived as both the symbolic and architectural heart of the building. This space originally featured a coffered, gilded dome, a mosaic tile floor, and a carved marble fireplace. The ceiling paintings within the rotunda were executed by Elmer Ellsworth Garnsey (1862–1946), a prominent decorative painter who also worked on the Boston Public Library, the New York Stock Exchange, and Memorial Hall at Yale, among other significant commissions. Garnsey’s work enhanced the rotunda’s sense of grandeur and intellectual aspiration. Flanking the rotunda were a wood paneled reading room and a large room designed to house the book stacks, underscoring the library’s role as both a place of learning and community gathering.

In 1962, a discreet modern addition was constructed, carefully designed to complement the original structure while preserving its historic appearance and maintaining the established streetscape. The library’s architectural and historical significance was formally recognized when it was designated as part of the Naugatuck Center Historic District on July 30, 1999.

Together, the Howard Whittemore Memorial Library stands as a memorial to a young life lost too soon, as well as a powerful expression of philanthropy, architectural excellence, and Naugatuck’s enduring commitment to culture, education, and public service.