bria Iron Company, taking it under its wing in October, 1877, leased the property of the association and removed it to a room in its general office building. There it remained until it found a permanent home in the Cambria Library building, the free gift of the Cambria Iron Company to the Library Association of Johnstown, opened and dedicated Saturday, March 5, 1881.
Daniel J. Morrell, general manager of the company, presided at the exercises that evening, and on behalf of the company presented to the trustees of the association, by their secretary, James Eldridge, the deed for the building and the ground on which it stood. It was a splendid address, almost entirely spoken to the youth. By the addresses of Cyrus Elder, Judge James Potts, Dr. W. W. Walters, W. Horace Rose, L. D. Woodruff, H. A. Boggs, Rev. R. A. Fink, John P. Linton and Rev. Watkins, which followed. the people of Johnstown were made to feel that the gift of the library was not solely for the employees of the company, but for each and every citizen who decided to avail himself of its privileges.
The board of managers were: Daniel J. Morrell, Cyrus Elder, C. S. Wurts, James Eldridge, Powell Stackhouse, James McMillen, Daniel N. Jones, T. T. Morrell, John Fulton and Charles Douglass. The officers were: President, D. J. Morrell; vice-president, Cyrus Elder; treasurer, C. S. Wurts; secretary, James Eldridge; librarian, Mrs. M. E. Hurst. Finance committee: E. Y. Townsend, T. T. Morrell, D. N. Jones, James Eldridge and Cyrus Elder. Reading room committee: Cyrus Elder, James McMillen and Powell Stackhouse. Committee on property: D. N. Jones, James McMillen and Powell Stackhouse.
The following description was given at that time: “The library building is situated at the intersection of Washington and Walnut streets, near the general office of the Cambria Iron Company, and in sight of the Pennsylvania railroad company. It is built of pressed brick, lain on black mortar, and is trimmed with Hummelstown brown sandstone, relieved with bands of black brick. The roof is slate, all the floors are brick and the stairs are iron. The front presents a high gable, nitched and relieved by two unique chimneys. The width of the building is thirty-two feet, and it is flanked by two towers, one in front and one in the rear, which take in the entrance and stairs; the depth of the building is sixty-eight feet. The basement story is nine
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