GEORGE PEABODY America’s First Philanthropist Philanthropist - a person who wishes to help others. • Born: Danvers, February 18, 1795 • 11 years old, he left his family to go to work • Earned $14 million and donated $8 million to libraries, museums, education, and public housing for the poor • Donated money to construct Peabody Institute Library, Danvers • Died: London, November 4, 1869 Peabody Institute Library, 15 Sylvan Street George in his mid-20s • 1869 Peabody Institute built, but a fire destroyed it in 1890 • 1892 New library dedicated • 1963 Basement remodeled for children’s room • 1981 Additions: children’s room expansion and town archive • December 22, 1997 accepted for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places Activity #1: Here are two photographs showing the first library before it burned down in 1890 and the library today. These two libraries are very different in the way they look. List three differences between the two buildings. 1. ______2. ______3. ______

The 1869 Library Peabody Institute Library today Danvers Archival Center: Did you know that you can discover more about Danvers history in the library? Old documents, photographs and records are called archives. The place where you store archives is called an archival center. Peabody Institute Library has one of the first archival centers in Massachusetts. The photographs on this page are from this archival center. Bring Ms. Endicott Pear to the library and look for a large painting of George Peabody. Take a photo of Ms. Endicott Pear with George.

Excerpt from OUR TOWN, Copyright: Danvers Historical Society, February 2016, 3rd edition 2020 ©. Funded in part by Kiwanis Club of Danvers, Essex National Heritage, DEEP, and Salem Fraternity Lodge #118