Our local history nook is a great place to learn more about Danville's rich history.  Currently, an exhibit celebrating Lester Colby, the library’s benefactor, is on display.  Lester Colby, in 1942, established a trust fund for the purpose of a library in Danville. The Colby Memorial Library was dedicated in 1972, on the site of the former Chase Shoe Factory.

Visitors will enjoy stories about the family and view numerous personal artifacts that were donated to the library by Colby family members and to the Town of Danville by the Hawke Historical Society. Items include a Colby family bible, Lester’s great-great grandfather’s military canteen from the 1800s, Lester’s mother Lucy Spofford Colby’s handcrafts including a quilt and needlework bookmarks as well as photographs of the family homestead and mill. The library also has a detailed book of family history compiled by descendants. Lester Colby’s replicated journal entries from when he was 12 offers a rare glimpse at life in Danville in the 1870s.

Also available for perusing are town reports, histories of surrounding towns, vital reports and more. Copies of "Vital Records of Danville, formerly Hawke, 1760-1886" are available to purchase from the Heritage Commission as well as postcards of various historic sights.

The Danville Heritage Commission Virtual Tour of Special Historic Places CD is also available for vieweing or borrowing.