The first library in our village began in 1902, when the village elected to form a library association to be incorporated by Regents in order to get State Aid. Funds were solicited to buy books, chairs, tables and shelving. The Farmer Public Library was opened to the public on July 22, 1902. The books were shelved in a closet of dentist Dr. Alfred Slocum’s waiting room. For many years the library was kept solvent by ice cream socials, musicals, annual tag days and contributions from the Village of Interlaken and The Town of Covert.
In 1904 the village was renamed Interlaken to advance the goal of having a train stop added to the village on the Lehigh Valley Rail Line. At that time, the railroad had another station in another village named Farmer, and in order for our village to obtain a stop we had to select a new name. After successfully renaming the village and securing our train stop, the library was renamed the Interlaken Free Library.
The Hinman Memorial Library building is the oldest residence in Interlaken and the first stick-built structure to go up in the Village. According to articles in The Interlaken Review, prior to the building of this home, the only other homes in the village were log cabins. Built in 1826 by Lockwood Hinman for his wife and family, the building houses the Interlaken Public Library.
In 1925, Mr. Louis S. Hinman, grandson of Lockwood Hinman, purchased the old home, restored the exterior practically to its original plan, rebuilt the fine old white fence and presented the property to the Village of Interlaken, to be used as a library building in memory of Lockwood Hinman, his wife and family. The gift was accepted by the voters of Interlaken and rebuilding of the interior was placed in the hands of the Board of Trustees. The library was renamed a final time as the Interlaken Public Library and a final charter issued, which we serve under today. Another descendant of Lockwood Hinman left a legacy of $20,000 to the library in 1940.
In 2009, the Children’s Room addition was added after a successful fundraising effort by the Board of Trustees and Patricia Moore, who had been the librarian for many years at that time. This addition provided a much needed area for our young readers and storytime hour.
