Birchard Library in Fremont, Ohio

Sardis Birchard gave real estate and other property to the value of $50,000 in trust to establish a library in Fremont for the free use and benefit to the people of Sandusky County. Rutherford B Hayes, nephew of Birchard, announced this gift to the city council in July of 1873. President Hayes not only gave the money, but supervised the building of the library and served as the President of the Board of Directors until his death.On June 3, 1874, Birchard Library opened it's doors in a building on Front Street. The library contained 1683 books of the 5,000 ordered by Rutherford B Hayes. Patrons had to be at least 14 years of age to borrow a book and only if they deposited a bond of $3.00. Only the librarians could take the books from the shelves.In 1878, the library building was built at a cost of $6,369.31 on the site of the Fort Stephenson, a stipulation of the original request.