Look down the hill towards the left side of the Crescent building.
Buxton library took up residence in the Assembly Rooms on the first floor, east wing, of the Crescent building in 1970. The space was originally designed as an 18th century function room adjoined by a smaller card playing room.
Please click on the button to hear former librarian Lyn Morris describe the beginning of the end for the Adams Room chandeliers.
Or read the transcription below;
Transcription
“When I was a little girl, the library was on Terrace Road where the Buxton Museum is today. At some point, and I think it was the late 60’s or early 70’s, the library moved down into the Crescent building; when the Crescent was first reopened after being closed. I remember once sitting in the reference library when the chandeliers were being cleaned and I remember an awful, awful incident when a young apprentice caught the chandelier with his ladder and it went ‘CHING!’ and the whole thing just fell apart. One of the swan necks on the chandelier just, sort of, detached itself and hung loose and there was an awful silence and this poor young lad was mortified. They must have ten or twelve arms on these chandeliers, they are big and just one of the them, french crystal, just ‘QUING!’ – It was broken that arm. It wasn’t long after that, that it went away and didn’t come back again.”