History

The Proprietary Library is one of Plymouth's oldest historic institutions, founded in 1810. It was originally situated in a John Foulston designed building at the centre of the City in Cornwall Street, but was bombed in World War Two and moved to its present location at the top of North Hill after the war.

It is a Registered Charity run by a Committee of Trustees elected by the members (who are known as Subscribers) at each Annual General Meeting. It has a regular income from investments and lettings and this supplements the subscriptions to cover the running expenses of the Library and for the purchase of new fiction and non-fiction books.

The Library was lost to fire on the 21st/22nd of March 1941 following bombing raids on the City Centre

Heritage Tours:

Tours of Plymouth Proprietary Library and the story of its place in cultural local history can be arranged with advanced notice.

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