Local legend holds that the future President of the United States, George Washington, who was a regular customer, took a liking to Mrs. Reynolds and was once chased down Main Street by the jealous husband.In 1925, the Company for the Preservation of Colonial Annapolis - a predecessor of the Historic Annapolis Foundation - argued to save the tavern and a number of other buildings from possible demolition. Meanwhile, a quiet effort had begun by Elizabeth Gracie Suydam and Clara Bell Palmer to start a real research library, in favor of the smaller, scattered places that served as libraries at the time.
In 1935, Elmer M. Jackson, Jr., an editor for The Evening Capital and a number of other volunteers bought the tavern, hoping to preserve the building and establish a permanent library. In 1937, Esther King was appointed county librarian. She is credited with expanding the library at Reynolds Tavern and helping to create the countywide library system.
The black and white library photos shown here were taken by Col. Charles E. Emery during the mid to late 1940s. They have been generously donated by Dorothy Glendinning of Annapolis, Col. Emery's granddaughter. One can only imagine how cozy it must have been to curl up next to a fireplace at a public library!
The library donated the building to the National Trust in 1975; it is under a lease to Historic Annapolis for 99 years. The building has been sub-leased by a number of commercial businesses over the years. Most recently, it had been called Reynold's Tavern - again.
Thanks to the Historic Annapolis Foundation for their help with this information, and to Dorothy Glendinning for the use of her grandfather's black and white photographs.
Tour Annapolis Map
A library is born at a Tavern
Banneker-Douglass Museum