The year 2025 promises to be a historic one for the Berryville Public library and, by extension, for the town of Berryville. Groundbreaking on the new library should happen sometime in the first quarter of the year, so the library should be finished either at the very end of the year or, more likely, in early 2026. Preparation for the new building has made us at the Berryville Library nostalgic and reflective, not just about the library’s history but also about the town’s history. Other seminal moments in Berryville Library history occurred in 1938 and 1978, so we’ll be looking back this year on what Berryville was like then, as well as what it is like now, as we also look to the future.
As I mentioned in the last Local Roots post of 2024, the Carroll County Historical Quarterly recently published a fascinating article by Jackie Waller about our library’s history. The conventional narrative is that the Berryville Library started in 1938 in the third floor of the courthouse, which is now the historical museum. Forty years later, the library moved to its current location, which was expanded in 1990.
And the basic gist of that narrative is true, but as Jackie notes, Berryville has a rich library history that predates 1938 by decades. In 1906, Anne George–a widowed teacher–founded both a public library and a school library in Berryville. The public library then was not free. It was a subscription library, and its use cost $1 in annual dues. (That’s equal to about $35 in today’s currency.)
Until 1917, when she moved away to Springfield, Missouri, Anne was the sole librarian. The location of the library shifted a lot, with it being housed in various shops in town over the years, and it was primarily on Saturday afternoons. Though Anne was the only librarian, she was not alone in supporting the library–community leaders involved with the Mystic Circle Club energetically raised money for books. They were the Friends of the Library before there was a Friends of the Library.
As someone who’s been actively involved in the fundraising committee and the Friends in the last several years as we’ve brought this dream of a new library to fruition, I was often struck as I read Jackie’s article by how much we had in common with the Berryville residents from over 100 years ago.
Like now, they worked hard to help fund and support the library. Like now, they prioritized an accessible library location, worrying about being too far from the town square for patrons on foot. We’ve had similar conversations about the location of the new building, even about staying as close to the square as possible and still being readily accessible for our patrons who walk to the library.
By 1920, the library was free, just as it is today, but it still lacked a permanent home. That’s why 1938 is so crucial in our library’s history. The library finally had–dare I say–a room of its own rather than being generously hosted by other organizations in town.
As 2025 unfolds and we look forward to a new home for the library, we’ll also be looking back on what Berryville was like in 1938 and 1978, those crucial years in our library’s history, and what Berryville is like now.
But to do that, we need your help! We want to hear and see your memories of Berryville in years past, whether it’s pictures or stories. And we also need you to participate in responding to our monthly prompts as we piece together a picture of what Berryville is like now! We’ll have more details next month, and we’ll also be debuting our first look of Berryville in 1938, 1978, and 2025 in March.
What are your favorite memories of the library? How would you describe Berryville as a place to live? What aspect of Berryville history do you find the most interesting? Do you have a great picture that captures the essence of Berryville you’d be willing to share? Tell us in the comments!
Berryville Book Buzz 