Riggs Library opened in 1891 in the south tower of Healy Hall.1 E. Francis Riggs, whose late father and brother both attended Georgetown, financed the construction of the library. In 1909, he gave an additional $10,000 to build an extension of the library on the second floor of Healy Hall. 2Until 1970 when Lauinger Library opened, Riggs served as the main library for Georgetown students and faculty. Although it is no longer open to the public, it continues to house special volumes and operates as a special event space.
Architecture and Design
Paul Pelz, the architect behind Healy Hall and the Library of Congress, supervised the construction of Riggs. Initially created to shelve 140,000 volumes, Riggs is one of the few remaining cast iron libraries in the country. In the 1891 volume of the Georgetown College Journal, students wrote, "It would take a Ruskin to describe its beauties and to appreciate the science displayed in its construction."3 Riggs is composed of four stories with four alcoves around seven and a half feet high. Pelz used masonry walls and terracotta tile floors to limit the risk of fire.4 At the top of the four alcoves are the coat-of-arms of the Riggs family, Georgetown University, the Society of Jesus, and the United States.5 To maximize the use of daylight, the library has eight tall windows on the east and south.
Riggs has always faced issues with its limited space. Over the years, new additions were made, such as the Shandelle Reading Room in the attic of the Healy Building, named after the librarian Father Henry Shandelle.6 In 1947, students began complaining about the lack of space, and the abundance of books stored away in the attics of Healy. Librarian Phillips L. Temple joined in and demanded that the school expand its library facilities. In 1962, the library expanded to the Healy basement for use as reference, stacks, and study rooms.
Riggs Library's Collection
Before the creation of the Riggs Library, Georgetown had less than 50,000 volumes on campus. Riggs propelled the university to acquire more books, which was fueled by increased gifts to the library. Father Wilfrid Parsons S.J. compiled a collection of first American editions of Catholic bibles, all but one of which was stored in Riggs.
By 1909, Riggs had over 90,000 volumes. Among many notable works housed in Riggs include John Gilmary Shea's collection of autographs, which included Vatican documents, 500 manuscripts, and signed letters of 15 presidents.7 Other notable works included St. Thomas More's Utopia, 1516. The initial flow of gifts given to Riggs slowed down in the 20th century. However, the most significant donation to date was in 1934, when the widow of New York Financier Nicholas Brady donated a collection of first editions of Johnson, Boswell, Keats, and Shelley, as well as Mark Twain's autograph manuscript of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
During World War II, the rare books and manuscripts of Riggs were moved to fire and bomb-proof vaults to protect them from potential incendiary bombs. The Washington Post wrote on the importance of this decision, stating, "the Georgetown archives contain irreplaceable documents dealing with the founding of the university and perhaps the most extensive collection of Catholic Americana to be found in this country."8
With the opening of Lauinger Library in 1970, Riggs no longer served as the main library for Georgetown students and faculty. Since the closing of the library to the general public, students have been calling for the library to reopen. Currently, it is only used to host prominent guest speakers, special dinners, debates, and performances.
- 1Booth Family Center for Special Collections, "Riggs Library." https://library.georgetown.edu/exhibition/item/aggregate/riggs-memorial-library
- 2"Riggs Library in Georgetown University's Healy Hall." Georgetown University Archives, Booth Center for Special Collections, 1910. https://repository.library.georgetown.edu/handle/10822/554531
- 3"Riggs Library." Georgetown College Journal vol. 19, no. 4. January 1891. Special Collections, Georgetown University Library, http://hdl.handle.net/10822/1044436
- 4Carter, Elliot. "Riggs Library: A Wonderful Old Library Overlooking the Nation's Capital." 14 February, 2017. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/riggs-library
- 5Id.
- 6Coleman, Nevils. "Miniatures of Georgetown 1634 to 1934" Georgetown University Press, Washington D.C., p.296
- 7Georgetown College Journal, Oct 1898, p.9.
- 8"Riggs Library Books Stored for "Duration." The Washington Post, 22 March 1942, p. L8.
