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The historic stone building that houses the present-day Riegelsville Public Library and Borough Hall was originally constructed as the Riegelsville Academy.
In 1820, Benjamin Riegel (miller by trade) established the town of Riegelsville, PA. His son, John Leidy Riegel, envisioned a community and regional preparatory school in Riegelsville. In July of 1885, he deeded a two-acre tract of land to the trustees of St. John Reformed Church on which to erect the Riegelsville Academy. When the building was completed in 1886, teachers and students, in an association with good books made possible by the possession of a large library, exerted a powerful influence in shaping ideals and character. Many of the students who graduated from the Riegelsville Academy continued their education at Lehigh University, Cornell University, Lafayette College, Franklin and Marshall College, Gettysburg College, and Ursinus College.
The original academy library occupied the second floor of the north end of the building, and the principal of the academy acted as the librarian. Before Mr. Riegel died in 1893, he endowed the academy and library to the care of the trustees of St. John Reformed Church. This board of trustees provided library management and dedicated annual monies to the library's maintenance. The library books were organized, and printed catalogs were issued from 1895-1898. In 1906, the library book collection of 4,588 was classified according to the Dewey Decimal System.
"The Public Library is located in the building and contains the standard magazines, and the works of the best authors. It abounds in books of reference, which are a valuable auxiliary to the workings of the school. It now contains 2500 volumes. More than this, its value is destined to increase, as it receives yearly, through the generosity of Mr. J.L. Riegel, an addition of books worth several hundred dollars."
- Catalogue of the Riegelsville Academy, 1895-1896
The twentieth century: The community changes, the library evolves
By 1916, a decline in student enrollment forced the closure of the Riegelsville Academy. (The opening of the Durham Public School in 1901 may have been a contributing factor.) In 1925, the Riegelsville Academy building was used for community meetings and functions and a Mercer tile fireplace was installed in the main reading room . This informal community library was open to the public until the late 1950's. Then, in 1960, St. John's Reformed Church leased the academy building to the Riegelsville Fire Company. During this time. a community library club known as the Friends of the Library formed and met in the academy building. On February 1, 1971, the Riegelsville Academy building was sold to the Borough of Riegelsville for $1.00. In 1976, the Riegelsville Borough Council approved a resolution initiated by the Friends of the Library group; this declaration stated that the Riegelsville Library was a legal official government agency of the borough, and a Library Board of Trustees was authorized to operate the library.
Jump-starting a modern library
At the time of the 1976 reopening of the Riegelsville Public Library, the library collection comprised approximately 2,000 volumes. Library hours for the general public were offered on Friday evenings, and a children's story hour program was introduced on Saturday mornings. Easton Area Public Library, in adjacent Northampton County, donated 500 books under the Lending Library Program and supplied voluntary storytellers.
The Bucks County Free Library provided program assistance for library members and volunteers. Pennsylvania state assistance was provided to the Riegelsville Public Library in 1982. In 1984, the library was registered as a historical landmark by the Bucks County Conservancy. The Durham Township supervisors approved a resolution designating the Riegelsville Public Library as a provider of library services to the residents of Durham, PA in 1999.
The Riegelsville Public Library today
Today, the mission of the Riegelsville Public Library is to provide free library services to residents of Riegelsville and Durham, PA, and subscription memberships to all others. Although the library is still considered an independent entity, it is a Community Public Library member of the Bucks County Library System, a consortium of 18 networked libraries that share resources and state funding assistance, as well as the benefits of the Access PA library program. The library is open three days a week (Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays). Approximately 1,000 patrons use the library's collection of over 16,000 books and audiovisual materials. There are three paid employees (a Pennsylvania Certified Librarian, a Library Technician and Children's Services Supervisor) and eleven volunteer library board members (nine representatives from Riegelsville Borough and two members from Durham}; together, they manage and guide the operation of the Riegelsville Public Library.