Lambertville – Then and Now

• Address: South Main Street between Bridge Street and Lilly Street
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• Historic Name: Lilly Mansion
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• Today: Lambertville Free Public Library

Six Lilly Street started its history as a mansion built from 1812 to 1830 for Dr. John Lilly, one of the early settlers of Lambertville and its first mayor. His elaborate brick home sat on the main part of the tract, facing Bridge Street. A broad expanse of lawn with barns, gardens, and carriages reached on the east to the cliff and south to Swan Creek.

As late as 1922, a descendent, William Lilly, still owned the property. In 1930 the highway took the stables. In 1946 the gracious front lawn was lost as the site for a service station, and subdivided lots to the south and east were sold over the decades. Vandals destroyed and stole the marble banister, copper pipes and plumbing fixtures from bathrooms and kitchens.

The City Commissioners bought the dilapidated building in 1980 with funds for community development from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) after private investment arrangements fell through. It had previously been the Moose Lodge, six apartments, and the Senior Citizen Center. Plans for a drive-in bank never materialized.

The major concern for Matthew Rue, AIA, of Lambertville, architect for the project, was that for adapted use as a library, it now had to provide sufficient support to hold 150 pounds per square foot.

The solution was to “weave” steel supports throughout the wooden floors above and to install a steel pillar on the first floor to prop up the floor. With that accomplished there followed additional renovations – alignment of stairs, rest rooms and an elevator to meet current occupancy and operating ordinances for use as The Lambertville Free Public Library.

The library opened to the public at its new location on October 17, 1993.