Salem Philosophical Library

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

__NOTOC__

{{Infobox library

| name = Salem Philosophical Library

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| location = Salem, Massachusetts, United States

| established = 1781

| closed = 1810

| website =

}}

The Salem Philosophical Library (1781–1810) or Philosophical Library Company was a proprietary library in Salem, Massachusetts.For context, see: List of libraries in 18th century Massachusetts Men affiliated with the library included: Tho. Bancroft, Thomas Barnard, William Bentley, Joseph Blaney, Nathaniel Bowditch, Manasseh Cutler, Nathan Dane, Joshua Fisher, Edward Augustus Holyoke, Joseph Mc'keen, B. Lynde Oliver, Joseph Orne, William Prescott, Samuel Page, Joshua Plummer, John Prince,{{citation |work=WorldCat |url=http://www.worldcat.org/wcidentities/lccn-n85-250660 |title=John Prince (1751-1836) }} Nathan Read, John D. Treadwell, Ichabod Tucker, and Joseph Willard.{{citation |author=Henry Wheatland |title= Historical Sketch of the Philosophical Library at Salem |work=Historical Collections of the Essex Institute |volume=4 |number=4 |date= 1862 |hdl= 2027/uva.x000464589 }}{{cite book |author=D. Hamilton Hurd |title= History of Essex County, Massachusetts |publisher= J.W. Lewis & Co. |location= Philadelphia |year= 1888 |url=http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/00865133 }} "The Library was kept at the house of Rev. Joseph Willard of Beverly, till ... December, 1781. ... His successor was Rev. Dr. Prince, who had the volumes at his mansion" in Salem.{{citation |author=Joseph Barlow Felt |title= Annals of Salem |volume=2 |edition= 2nd |location= Salem |publisher= W. & S. B. Ives |year= 1849 |url=http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008731522 }} "By 1810, many of the members of the [Salem] Social Library also belonged to the Philosophical Library, and the two bodies were merged to create the Salem Athenaeum."{{cite web |url=http://www.salemathenaeum.net/about.html |title=About |publisher=Salem Athenaeum |accessdate=February 17, 2011 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110207054756/http://www.salemathenaeum.net/about.html |archivedate=February 7, 2011 |df= }}

"The Philosophical Library had as nucleus the valuable private library of Dr. Richard Kirwan of Dublin, captured with the cargo of the British ship 'Mars' by the ship 'Pilgrim' belonging to John and Andrew Cabot of Beverly."{{citation |work=Library Journal |date= April 1910 |title=Salem Athenaeum Celebration |volume=35 |number=4 |hdl= 2027/njp.32101076205069 }} "The Rev. John Prince was desired to attend the auction and make the purchase. Accordingly on the 12th of April, 1781, the said books, consisting of the greater part of the Philosophical Transactions of the French Academy, the Royal Society of London, and the Society of Berlin; ... the works of Sir Robert Boyle compleat ... — making in all 116 volumes."