A Brief History
The stone building at 19 Water Street was built in 1861 as a meeting place for the Agricultural and Horticultural Society. It was known as the Kugler Building until 1868 and later as Lloyd’s Building and Hall. In 1900 Mrs. William Boswell, who led a reading circle, proposed a library, and the Milford Public Library was founded in 1902. In later years, the John M. Pattison Library became part of the Milford Public Library (MPL) and it moved to Town Hall until 1922-23, when the library moved back to Lloyd's Hall.
The building was purchased by Dr. Richard Belt in 1919, and in his will he left the stone building in trust at his death in 1930 for use as a public library. If the building is not used as a library, it reverts to St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Terrace Park. In 1959, the MPL merged with the Clermont County Public Library (CCPL) and gradually used the entire building until the CCPL separated from the MPL in 1983. Since that time, the MPL has used half of the bottom floor and rented out the rest of the building.
Following the separation from the CCPL, the MPL began to specialize in mysteries and thrillers, and it is now more popularly known as the Milford Mystery Library. Today, it is run by volunteers, with two trustees and a board to oversee operations.