In 1892, a heartbroken father, Albert Norton Parlin, made a generous donation to the City of Everett. He gifted his family’s estate, the Pickering Estate, with a specific purpose in mind: to build a library in memory of his son, Frederick E. Parlin. This is how the Frederick E. Parlin Memorial Library came to be. The Frederick E. Parlin Memorial Library stands as a testament to a father’s love and a community’s commitment to learning. The library opened its doors in 1895, originally designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style by local architect John Calvin Spofford. The buff brick, sandstone, and terracotta structure, with its prominent tower and arched entrance, quickly became a landmark. The Frederick E. Parlin Memorial Library wasn’t just a static monument. It evolved with the needs of the community. In 1911, another addition, also designed by Spofford, expanded the library’s reach. Albert Parlin continued his support, even establishing the Frederick E. Parlin Memorial Fund in 1924 to further enrich the library’s resources. By the 1940s, it was clear that the Frederick E. Parlin Memorial Library needed to grow again. Decades later, in 1990, a major renovation and expansion project began. The new design skillfully blended the historic structure with modern additions, earning the library awards from the Boston Society of Architects and the American Institute of Architects. The Frederick E. Parlin Memorial Library reopened in 1991, boasting a cutting-edge automated system and membership in the North of Boston Library Exchange (NOBLE). This blend of old and new reflects the library’s ongoing mission: to honor the past while serving the present and future.
Rumney Marsh Burial Ground
A chill wind whispers through the aged headstones. This is Rumney Marsh Burial Ground. This historic cemetery dates back to