Woonsocket Harris Public Library (United States)

The Woonsocket Harris Public Library was originally known as the Harris Institute Library. Situated on the second floor of the Harris Institute Building in the Harris Block on Main Street , the Harris Institute Library opened its doors to the public on October 3, 1868. The Harris Institute Library has the distinction of being the first public library in the state of Rhode Island . The library was located directly below Harris Hall, where Abraham Lincoln delivered an anti-slavery address in 1860. The founder of the library was Mr. Edward Harris, who was a noted Woonsocket woolen manufacturer and philanthropist.