Washington Street Library
library in Cumberland, Maryland, United States
The Washington Street Library is located in the historic district of Cumberland, Maryland. This Greek Revival style building was constructed between 1849 and 1850, as a larger building for the Allegany County Academy, the first public school in Allegany County, which was founded in 1799. The library first opened its doors on June 19, 1934. A new addition was constructed in 1966, allowing for the expansion of the library collection.
Today, the Washington Street Library houses the largest reference collection in the Allegany County Library System, and offers an extensive local history area in the Maryland Room. Free internet access, books on tape, interlibrary loan services, and a collection of fiction and non-fiction materials are some of the services offered. Children's programs take place weekly.
The public source identifies “Washington Street Library” as library in Cumberland, Maryland, United States. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Washington, Street and Library.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Washington Street Library”, the useful work is to connect “library in Cumberland, Maryland, United States” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 31, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q7972323. Authority coordinates are 39.651, -78.767. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1849, 1850, 1799 and 1934.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Washington Street Library”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Washington Street Library primary sources, Washington Street Library archive and Washington research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Washington Street Library”?
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- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Washington Street Library” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.