THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 11, 1996 TAG: 9601090094
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY SCOTT McCASKEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 144 lines
IT HAD BEEN just another day on the job for Peggy Haile, archivist at the Kirn Library's Sargeant Memorial Room.
But that was before she received a telephone call from London.
On the line was a woman editing an old handwritten diary. The caller was looking for handwriting samples of James Maybrick, the supposed author and a Liverpool cotton broker whom some believe was Jack the Ripper. Maybrick lived in Norfolk prior to the heinous murders.
Haile spent hours trying to dig up samples of Maybrick's penmanship, possible evidence that could open a fresh trail to identifying the notorious killer.
``We found his home and work address, but unfortunately we couldn't find any writing samples,'' Haile said. ``We do a lot of detectivelike work here, but this was definitely not the norm.''
While tracking murderers from Victorian England is an out-of-the-ordinary pursuit, eager patrons thumbing through Norfolk's and Virginia's past is the essence of the Sargeant Memorial Room, located on the mezzanine of the Kirn Library at 301 E. City Hall Ave.
``I've been in there probably three times a week since it opened,'' said Jane Goodsell, a Norfolk native who moved to Chesapeake three years ago but who remains one of the room's regulars. ``I mostly do research on my family history, or I get tangled up with doing research for someone else's family.''
The Sargeant Memorial Room's inventory offers a novel collection of old books, genealogical records, photographs, maps and memorabilia. Intimate biographies of famous and infamous Virginians share the shelves with files of vintage post cards and menus from old restaurants.
Many of the room's 16,000 books - some dating to 1801 - 20,000 photographs and 3,700 microforms were collected by William Henry Sargeant, a Norfolk librarian at the turn of the century. Other items, such as the photo collection of late local historian Carroll Walker, have come as gifts from city residents. Some collectibles arrive in the mail from around the country.
``The room is not only a Norfolk treasure, it's a Virginia treasure,'' said Sally Reed, Norfolk's director of libraries. ``There are a lot of one-of-a-kind items in there.''
There is no checkout, however. Much of the inventory is irreplaceable, and everything must remain protected on the premises. Some old photos may be reproduced for a fee. In the back of the Sargeant Memorial Room, a glass case holds the most fragile documents, crusty and tattered books and manuscripts mostly from the 1800s.
``The whole room probably should be in a glass case,'' Haile said.
But patrons can talk about and celebrate their finds.
``We discourage people from speaking loudly, but we don't have a `rule of silence,' '' Haile explained. ``When someone finds something they've been looking for for a long time, you hear a whoop of glee, and everybody likes that.''
Haile has collected materials for the Sargeant Memorial Room since 1970. About half of the room's visitors come for local history, others to research their genealogy.
``I have ancestors that were in Norfolk during the Civil War,'' said Chris Pierman, a Navy chief petty officer who lives in Virginia Beach. ``I'm here tracing my family back to New Kent and Charles City counties where they lived before the Civil War.''
People can find their forefathers through cemetery and U.S. census records, old newspaper obituaries on microfilm, city directories and marriage notices. There also are wills and deeds from county courthouse records. The records include information from six states and the District of Columbia. A number of ``how to'' books also offer guidance on genealogical research.
The collection of old photographs also is a popular attraction, providing some vivid images of South Hampton Roads' past. A shot of the 1918 New Year's Day fire at the Monticello Hotel in downtown Norfolk captures the structure transformed into a surreal-looking ice palace from the frozen water of the hoses.
Every month or so, Haile places a themed picture display in the Kirn's lobby. Now featured is a humorous collection of photos from the 1930s and '40s depicting people and their New Year's resolutions. People sometimes will recognize themselves and long-lost friends in the photos, Haile said.
The Sargeant Memorial Room was established in Sargeant's honor in 1927 at the old library on Freemason Street. In charge of the Norfolk Public Library from 1895 until his death in 1917, Sargeant began assembling books, city newspapers and directories in 1896. Library administrators have been adding to the inventory ever since. The collection was moved into the current room in 1962 when the Kirn was opened.
While recent statistics indicate that a number of Norfolk residents are frequenting newer libraries in surrounding cities, volume at the Sargeant Memorial Room remains steady.
``We have a specialized collection that isn't duplicated at other area libraries,'' Haile said. ``We have things here that are no longer available anywhere else. I haven't seen any decline in the use of this room. It has probably increased over the years I've been here.''
Haile is an integral part of what the room has to offer. Besides acquiring antiquities and putting things in their proper place, she spends a lot of her day answering questions and helping people find information.
``You have to really like people to work in a library,'' said Haile, a 45-year-old Norfolk native. ``There's so much contact.''
Searches range from helping school children with history projects to assisting journalists looking for old photographs. The archivist knows many facts off the top of her head. But some secrets can take days to uncover, and others remain evasive.
Haile assisted Goodsell in trying to find out what originally stood at the site of the Spaghetti Warehouse building at 1900 Monticello Ave. Goodsell's son worked there as a bartender. After hours of searching through room archives, Haile referred Goodsell to City Hall to check courthouse deeds and land tax records, but nothing yet has been turned up.
``Sometimes what you find here is just a lead for somewhere else to look,'' Haile explained. ``But I can't say we always find what we're looking for.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Cover, Color photo]
HISTORICAL TREASURES
MOTOYA NAKAMURA
The Virginian-Pilot
Staff photo by RICHARD L. DUNSTON
John McLaulin does some genealogy research in the Kirn Library's
Sargeant Memorial Room, which is a popular place to study one's
family history.
Photos of the aftermath of the 1918 fire at the Monticello Hotel are
among the many that can be viewed.
Staff photo by RICHARD L. DUNSTON
Archivist Peggy Haile has collected materials for the Sargeant
Memorial Room since 1970.
Staff photo by BETH BERGMAN
Looking for just the right volume, Fred Jeffcoate peruses the
shelves at the Sargeant Memorial Room.
WHEN TO VISIT
The Sargeant Memorial Room is on the mezzanine of the Kirn
Memorial Library at 301 E. City Hall Ave.
Hours are:
Monday...9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday...1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday...1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Thursday...1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday...Closed
Saturday...9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday...Closed
by CNB