Comments on: Inside the Joseph Rowntree Memorial Library

By: Sam Rowntree

Sam Rowntree — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 09:34:50 +0000

Sorry, I was incorrect. The Library was designed by my grandfather, Colin Rowntree, who was Fred’s son and also an architect.

By: drake

drake — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 08:45:17 +0000

Such a fab building…criminal it is not used

By: Gail Bourne

Gail Bourne — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 22:17:12 +0000

What a fantastic little gem for future generations to enjoy!

By: Gail Bourne

Gail Bourne — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 22:15:32 +0000

As a frequent visitor of York (much to my dismay not a resident!) I have thouroghly enjoyed stumbling along this fantastic website. I love learning about the social history of my own lovely town (in Lincolnshire) through blogs and site like this, and now I can while away hours reading up on some of the stories from another place I love. What

By: Deborah Roberts

Deborah Roberts — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 19:16:23 +0000

I see that Sam comes from the Scarborough branch of the family cousins to Seebohm .
Google tells that he was also involved in the old central offices of the York Works and indeed Yearsley baths.
I have experience of both.
My cousins and granny lived in Kitchener Street and in the school holidays staying with them meant early morning swimming , cold but great fun .
The odd main office was located at the end of the main corridor ( entered at Haxby Road main gate )
Always full of noise and activity and where often you would pass Sir Donald Barron who would always acknowledge any he met on his factory rounds.
The office was through lovely double wooden doors and silence would suddenly hit you as no one ever talked loudly .It was a large square room with old fashioned desks and chairs and ink wells
( one of which I still own )
There was a balcony going all the way round it leading into well appointed directors rooms as well as the Board Room.
This was wooden panelled ( as was the ground floor area)
With a huge central table .
It was inevitably full of cigar and cigarette smoke when you entered .
Happy days.

By: Sam Rowntree

Sam Rowntree — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 14:59:25 +0000

Thank you very much for posting this article. My great grandfather, Fred Rowntree, was the architect for this building and I’ve never been inside so it’s great to see the photos. Sadly there’s no proof but it’s generally thought that he also did the cafe in Rowntree Park which ironically is now a reading room connected to York’s central library. I know we have the Lutyens War Memorial in York but how dull is that compared to a memorial library or park that can be enjoyed and loved by so many people?