About the Heritage Village Library

The Ethan Allen Cottage and Heritage Village Library

The Heritage Village Library is housed in a historic 18th century building formerly known as the Ethan Allen cottage. The building was transported from Litchfield to Roxbury and then to Southbury some years ago. Although Ethan Allen was born in 1738 in Litchfield there is no factual evidence that the cottage was his actual birthplace. However dim the history of the house may be, much of its interior gives evidence of its age.  It has 18-inch wide floorboards, a huge fireplace with built-in baking oven and beam ceilings, all typical features of a modest colonial house.

Various individuals resided temporarily in the Ethan Allen cottage. The Victor Borge family, along with their French poodles Toujours and L’Amour, lived there briefly while renovations were underway at his main residence - the meetinghouse. The Otto Paparazzo family with five children and a Saint Bernard managed to squeeze in until their home in Woodbury was ready. When the first permanent residents of Heritage Village - Irma Holton and her sister Vera Faith - were ready to take occupancy, their unit was not quite ready. Again, the cottage was put to use as a temporary home. And even Mildred and Emmet Crozier, who later spearheaded the drive to turn the cottage into a library, had to store their furniture there for a few weeks while carpets and appliances were being installed in their unit.

Mildred Crozier's dream of a library for the village came true when the Paparazzo’s agreed to convert the historic building into a library on May 7th 1968.  The Ethan Allen cottage became the Heritage Village Library, opening with more than 2000 books donated by residents. The library opening was a festive event featuring an exhibit of bronzes by Villager Harriet Fishmuth, a sculptor whose work is in museums here and abroad,  including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Exhibits continued at the library for a few years until the need for book space took precedence over displays.

In 1999, after years of discussion and vigorous fundraising the library presented plans for a 500 square foot addition designed by architect Kevin Bennett. The addition, now looking as if it had always been there, opened in August 2002.

(From “Our Historic Buildings Now and Then” published on the 40th anniversary of Heritage Village, 2007)

Our collection includes over 3,800 fiction and non-fiction books, 900 movies, documentaries, and TV series on DVD, and 700 jigsaw puzzles.

The Heritage Village Library is a 501(c)3 corporation, is staffed by volunteers and is funded completely by donations from residents, friends and the greater community throughout the year. Donations for our Annual Book Sale are accepted during our regular hours. We welcome donations at other special fundraisers and events. Contributions and gifts can be made to honor a friend, relative or to commemorate a special event throughout the year.. Please be generous!

The video above is a "Focus" community feature program that presents a narrated tour of the Heritage Village Library, housed in the historic Ethan Allen Cottage, an original building dating to the early 1700s that was reputedly the home of Ethan Allen and was transported to Southbury, Connecticut from Litchfield. The video opens with song lyrics (Enya's "Only Time") over exterior views of the building, then moves through the library's rooms, its original 1700s fireplace and historic door with bullet glass, and behind-the-scenes operations including cataloging, book covering, shelving, the book sale, and the surrounding landscaping. The program also serves as an appeal during the library's patron donation drive.

The host is Ginny Dreyfus of "Focus," whose featured guest is Ruth Warner, the president of the Village Library, who describes the library's history, collection, and operations. Other identified speakers include volunteer Elayne Doherty and Janet Hansen, who heads the library's landscaping committee. Several additional volunteers narrate segments on the fireplace, rooms, cataloging, book covering, shelving, and the book sale but are not named on camera; these are rendered as Narrator/Guide and numbered speakers. Persons referenced but not heard include B. Norman (who makes the volunteer schedule), the Valentine family (who moved the building), Mr. Borga, Otto Paparazzo, and Henry Paparazzo.