Senate Resolution No. 1177
BY: Senator GRIFFO
COMMEMORATING the 130th Anniversary of the Jervis
Public Library in Rome, New York
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
pay tribute to institutions that enrich the civic and cultural life of
the communities of New York State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commemorate the 130th Anniversary of the Jervis Public Library, a vital
institution founded in 1895 in the City of Rome, New York, through the
vision and generosity of one of America's foremost civil engineers, John
B. Jervis; and
WHEREAS, John Bloomfield Jervis (1795-1885), a native of Rome, was
the leading consulting engineer of antebellum America and a pioneer in
the fields of canal and railroad development, waterworks, and civil
infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, John B. Jervis began his career humbly in 1817 as an axe
man on an Erie Canal survey crew and rose rapidly through the ranks to
become the Chief Engineer of multiple major transportation and water
supply projects, including the Delaware and Hudson Canal, the Mohawk and
Hudson Railway, the Croton Aqueduct-the first large-scale water supply
system for New York City-and numerous other groundbreaking endeavors
across the United States; and
WHEREAS, Jervis's innovations laid the foundation for much of
America's 19th-century transportation infrastructure; his designs
introduced numerous engineering "firsts," including the Stourbridge
Lion, the first locomotive to run in America, and the "Jervis-type"
locomotive, which featured the world's first free-swinging four-wheel
front truck and set a new standard for maneuverability and speed; and
WHEREAS, In recognition of his contributions to civil engineering
and infrastructure, the City of Port Jervis, New York, was named in his
honor; and
WHEREAS, Upon his return to Rome in the later years of his life,
Jervis continued to contribute to civic life by founding the Rome Iron
Mills and authoring the economic treatise The Question of Labor and
Capital in 1877; and
WHEREAS, Most notably, John B. Jervis bequeathed his estate,
personal residence, and extensive library to the City of Rome for the
express purpose of establishing a public library; and
WHEREAS, Since its founding in 1895, the Jervis Public Library has
served as a lasting monument to its founder's legacy, providing public
access to knowledge, education, and cultural enrichment for 130 years;
and
WHEREAS, The Jervis Library preserves and maintains John Jervis's
original personal collection, including nearly 1,800 monographs, rare
volumes dating from the 1670s to the 1880s, and over 600 original
engineering plans and drawings, as well as manuscripts, correspondence,
scrapbooks, and public documents. This archive has been recognized as
one of the most comprehensive early American engineering collections in
existence; and
WHEREAS, The Jervis Public Library remains a living tribute to John
B. Jervis's enduring legacy of innovation, education, and public
service, functioning as both a vital center for community learning and a
trusted steward of rare and historically significant archival materials;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 130th Anniversary of the Jervis Public Library in Rome,
New York, and to honor the enduring legacy of John B. Jervis-engineer,
innovator, and public benefactor; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the Jervis Public Library.
