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Victorian Library Finds New Life After Century
18 Mar
Summary
- Woodside Library, over a century old, is rebuilt at Black Country Living Museum.
- The library closed in 2008 and was dismantled in 2018 for relocation.
- It opens Wednesday as part of a £15m development recreating 1940s-60s life.
Woodside Library, a historic Victorian building that served the community of Dudley for more than a century, has been completely rebuilt at the Black Country Living Museum. Originally established in 1894, the library was gifted to the people of Dudley by the Earl of Dudley. It ceased operations in 2008 and remained empty for a decade before its careful dismantling and relocation to the museum site in 2018.
The restored library is set to open its doors to visitors this Wednesday. It forms a significant part of a multi-million-pound development at the museum, which aims to recreate life in the Black Country during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. The library itself showcases over 6,500 donated books, with a narrative centered on the year 1963 when Dudley's libraries enhanced their collections with paperbacks and gramophone records.
The museum is actively seeking donations of books from the 1960s era to further enrich the library's collection. This project was substantially supported by a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant exceeding £15 million. The library stands as the tallest structure within the museum's new town area, representing a significant achievement in heritage preservation and community engagement.
