09/16/2022
East Hampton Library’s Item of the Week:
In this undated photograph, “Ettie” Hedges Pennypacker (1879-1970) stands in a farmyard a long pale dress. The dress is anachronistic, a simple Empire Style popular into the 1820s, but out of fashion during her lifetime. Perhaps she is in costume for a party, such as the ones she attended at Home Sweet Home, or the State Historian’s Conference.
Ettie was born Esther Cartwright Hedges, the youngest of Mary Baker (1839-1927) and William Huntting Hedges’ (1839-1905) five children. The family lived at 189 Main Street, where the family operated a farm and Ettie graduated from East Hampton High School with the school’s first graduating class in 1895. In 1898, before the current East Hampton Library building existed, Ettie became the first librarian for the Hampton Free Library. Until that point, the library operated exclusively by volunteers. Ettie continued her role as librarian for 56 years.
Outside of her job, Ettie actively participated in many community organizations including St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, the Ladies’ Missionary Society, and the Ramblers Literary Society. Despite her active social life, Ettie remained unmarried until late in life, which was unusual at the time.
However, as librarian she became quite close to Morton Pennypacker, county and town historian. Morton relocated to East Hampton from Queens, and in 1930 he donated his own extensive archives and library to create what is now the Long Island Collection. In 1936, at the ages of 57 and 64 respectively, Ettie and Morton married. Most of the community assumed neither would ever marry, and the marriage remains a popular topic for old timers to remark about.
Ettie retired as librarian when Morton grew ill and did not return to the job following his death in 1956. Neither had any children, but Ettie doted on her nieces, one of whom lived with her as a companion for many years until her death in 1970. To this day, portraits of Ettie and Morton hang in the Long Island Collection, keeping watch over the library that brought them together.