A Vested Piece of the Town of Merton and North Lake Communities
Our Mission
The mission of the Town Hall Library is to offer all people a welcoming, accessible, and attractive gathering place conducive to learning, research, enlightenment and enjoyment.
Through innovative programming, relevant collections and responsive services, the Town Hall Library aspires to be an information-based community center which supports lifelong learning and the joy of reading.
Our History
The Merton Town Hall, which later served as home to the Town Hall Library, was built in the 1870s. It sat empty for many years before the Lake Keesus Women’s Club worked to create a local library in the 1960s.
By 1966, the old town hall was renovated, the building was dedicated as a library and the collection grew to to 2,643 books. The facility quickly filled, and by the end of the 1970s, it doubled in size thanks to its first addition.
The Town Hall Library began experiencing growing pains again in the late 1990s and early 2000s which pushed patron comfort, access to books and programming space to a breaking point.
Thanks to incredible community support and involvement, a $1.25M referendum to triple Library space passed in 2008 with an overwhelming 68 percent voter support. Prior to that, volunteers and staff secured donations to fund the other half of the projected cost, which enhanced the popularity of the referendum. Ground was broken in July 2008 and the new and improved Town Hall Library opened August 30, 2009.
Local History
North Lake is located at what was a crossroads of two Indian trails. The area offered farmable land, abundant wildlife and a lake described as a “magnificent sheet of water abounding in fish of various kinds and surrounded by most enchanting scenery.”
The first pioneer arrived around 1837, but Winnebago and Potawatomi Indians were the original inhabitants.
The first home was built in 1853 with a sawmill and grist mill appearing soon after. Resorts spouted up to accommodate “city folk” who wanted to use the area for recreation. Once the resorts attracted more people to the community, other businesses, including a general store, brewery, hotel, stockyards, and lumber company, opened their doors. They all prospered, particularly after the railroad extended its line to North Lake in 1898. The first school was built in 1846 (even before the post office) and the school’s first annual meeting was recorded in 1867.
Our Community Today
The Town Hall Library is located in the unincorporated community of North Lake – which is part of the Town of Merton – in the northwestern part of Waukesha County. The area features exceptional natural resources for hiking, biking and water activities.
The area includes high-performing elementary schools and a top-flight high school. The Library is involved with local youth groups like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, our local volunteer fire department, master gardeners, local artists and musicians, and neighborhood businesses.
The Town Hall Library is proud to be a focal point of the community it serves.
