According to NECTA, Suffield is more closely aligned with Springfield than with Hartford. (If you are not familiar with NECTA, I wrote about it when I visited Enfield).
Suffield was even part of Massachusetts until 1749 when it became part of Connecticut, so it's a town that seems to straddle two places. Recently, I visited Suffield, and I could definitely feel the Massachusetts influence.
When I visited I was immediately taken by the architecture of the Kent Memorial Library. It has a light quality about it, and its the most unique library structure I've discovered in the state. Named after Suffield resident Alfred Kent, the library could easily be confused with the town of Kent's library (with the exact same name).
Architect Warren Platner designed the building and also built such famous spots as the Window on the World in the World Trade Center and Water Tower Place in Chicago. (He designed a regionally famous restaurant in my home state of Missouri as well.)
With such a unique style of architecture and such an interesting history associated with the building you would think some of it would be mentioned on the town's library website, but it's a bit more complicated than that. (All the information I learned about this library came form other websites and talking directly with library staff.)
Back in 2008 talks became serious in the direction of tearing down the building. Why? First, there are space restraints. The way the building was made makes it virtually impossible to make it ADA compliant. It's also a building that didn't take into account that it might need to one day be expanded, and the library happens to need expansion.
Having been there, I can understand why expansion is impossible. There is a brick sidewalk that follows the building around its full length, a busy street and a formal courtyard in the front, a pathway for cars immediately in the back, (not to mention the steep drop off), and massive windows along the sides.
Next, the people who work in the library find the structure inefficient for doing library work. It seems every detail--down to the furniture--was thought out by Platner in this 1970s modern structure, but he didn't know anything about the library field or library work flow, and it never occurred to him that it might be important.
And then there are those who just never liked the way the building turned out and wanted a more traditional structure.
It seems unlikely, at this point, the library will actually be torn down. The town voted against the demolition. But, it's getting close to three years since the vote and residents are becoming a bit impatient. The town has been trying to find something to take over the existing space and has met with those interested in turning the Platner building into a performing arts center. The new library will eventually be built in an alternate location.
Suffield stats:
Population: 14,704
Size: 42.9 square feet
Villages/Other Communities: West Suffield
Historic Places: Babb's Beach, Bridge No. 455, Farmington Canal-New Haven and Northampton Canal, John Fuller House, Gothic Cottage, Hastings Hill Historic District, Hatheway House, Hilltop Farm, King's Field House, Alexander King House, Lewis-Zukowski House, Suffield Historic District
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