Gafney Library

About Us

On May 6, 1987, Judge Gafney, who was born in Ossippee, NH in 1843 and died in Rochester, NH in 1899, wrote this in his will (among other things):

"I direct my said trustees to establish, locate and maintain a public library for the benefit of the people of Carroll County, to be called the Gafney Library and to be located at such place within said county as in their judgement would be of the greatest convenience and benefit to the people of said county. Having great confidence in these trustees, I leave wholly to their judgement and discretion the character of the books which shall make up said library, the quantity and times when the same shall be purchased and acquired, the manner in which the books shall be made accessible to the use of the people and all other acts and methods which shall be necessary to make this bequest most useful and beneficial to said people. I direct that in the case of the decease of any said trustees the survivor or survivors may elect successors to be residents of said county."

In the thirteenth part of the same will, Judge Gafney gave to the same trustees the power to designate the remainder of the estate for benevolent and charitable purposes for the people of said county.