Under the hand-carved gazes of Twain, Socrates, Rembrandt, Chopin and many other legends of various disciplines, more than 1,600 titles — some over 200 years old — sit on dark wooden shelves. Originating from every corner of the globe, covering topics from agriculture to Aesop, it’s not often that this many unique and priceless books end up sitting cover-to-cover. Two of the people responsible for the collection — Matilda and John Dodge — also watch from the walls, their own gazes immortalized in paint.
While John Dodge didn’t live to see it, Matilda Dodge Wilson and her second husband, Alfred Wilson, planned this library (alongside 109 other rooms) during the construction of Meadow Brook Hall. Nearly a century later, the room serves largely the same purpose as it did during the Wilsons’ ownership, dazzling visitors and serving as a space to host events.
Instead of the late Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, curator Madelyn Chrapla now oversees upkeep of the library and its volumes. With 15 years of experience at the historic landmark, Chrapla has initiated preservation and restoration projects throughout the home — including a program to “conserve and restore” the sizable collection.
“I was able to pay an intern who methodically went through every single book. We used that time for her to not only record the books, but to check every single page to find any notes, any bookmarks inside of [them],” Chrapla said.
In many cases, Chrapla said that the annotations and notes found inside have provided more information on the Dodge and Wilson families than the books themselves.
“We found a letter to John Dodge in one of the books from his daughter, Isabel, in 1915,” Chrapla said. “That one is great because it talks about the starting of the nine-hole golf course that he built. We didn’t know exactly when that opened, so this gave us a date.”
A few books even appear to have inspired the design of the Tudor Revival-style mansion.
“Some pages would be marked with wood paneling or a fireplace that they liked,” Chrapla said. “We can very much see in Meadow Brook that the page was duplicated. We can look at a page and see direct inspiration.”
Despite the plurality of books that are shelved today, Chrapla said there were likely many more about 50 years ago. It was at this time that multiple book sales took place, helping to fund student scholarships for the newly-independent Oakland University. It is unknown what titles were lost, but some in the current collection still have prices written on them, according to Chrapla.
For those that remain, Chrapla and fellow staff now work to preserve them for as long as possible. This includes a yearly unshelving and dusting, as well as a routine of handling each book with freshly-washed, ungloved hands (that’s right — antique book experts have found that gloves can actually increase the likelihood of damage).
Despite efforts of any expert, paper is still an organic material that is prone to rot and mildew. These spores can spread, decimating entire shelves if left unchecked.
“We are very lucky that we’ve not had many issues in the house,” Chrapla said, knocking on the side of her head for good luck. “We just received a grant which is going to help us with some humidity and temperature monitoring, and [to] put new UV filters on all of the windows.”
As for the largest and most valuable items — including a 236-year-old world Atlas and a 16th-century folio map — they are stored on a different floor in a vault.
Besides the collection, the room itself has been the site of significant history. It has hosted guests such as Henry and Clara Ford, and has deep connections to OU.
“The refectory table is one of the antiques we have in the house,” Chrapla said. “But more importantly, [it] is where they signed the papers to found Oakland University.”
Now, the space is used for meetings, classes, tours and other events of all types, securing the library as a staple of the entire mansion.
“It’s actually my favorite room to give a tour in,” Chrapla said. “Especially for our holiday tours, because there’s such a great mix of function and decoration in the room.”
