| Barron Library | |
| Coordinates: | 40.5611°N -74.2736°W |
| Architecture: | Richardsonian Romanesque |
| Added: | November 11, 1977 |
| Refnum: | 77000886 |
| Designated Other1 Name: | New Jersey Register of Historic Places |
| Designated Other1 Abbr: | NJRHP |
| Designated Other1 Link: | New Jersey Register of Historic Places |
| Designated Other1 Date: | August 26, 1977 |
| Designated Other1 Number: | 1944[1] |
| Designated Other1 Num Position: | bottom |
| Designated Other1 Color: |
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The Barron Library is a historic building located at 582 Rahway Avenue in Woodbridge Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey. Formerly a public library, it is now the Barron Arts Center.[2] The building was documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1976.[3] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 11, 1977, for its significance in architecture and education.[4]
Thomas Barron (1790–1875) funded the construction of the building in his will. It would become the first free public library in Middlesex County. The brownstone building was designed by architect J. Cleaveland Cady in the Richardsonian Romanesque style and features a three-story clock tower. The fireplace in the Reading Room is bordered with blue and white Delft tiles, each depicting a biblical scene. The library was dedicated on September 11, 1877. In 1967, it became part of the Woodbridge Township Library System.[4] In 1977, the building became the arts center for Woodbridge Township.[2]