It was while Rock Hill still owned
their own schools, but had to use libraries in neighboring towns, that the
Parent Teacher Association and other interested and concerned people decided
that a voluntary library might be established in Rock Hill. Howard A. Marple and F. E. Bobbitt were the two persons responsible
for extending the idea to the community.
Dr. T. Dean Adams, Superintendent of
the Rock Hill School District, thought it was a fine idea and the proposal was
placed before the School Board, village officials and civic leaders.
The committee formed to investigate
the possibilities of a Public Library included Mr. Bobbitt, Mr. & Mrs.
Marple, Dr. Adams, Mrs. W. H. Darrah, Mr. & Mrs. H. W. Lunden and Mrs. E.
McDaniel. The committee returned with
the recommendation that Rock Hill could successfully support a public library
financed by voluntary contributions.
The Lions Club, Rock Hill Improvement Association and its Women’s
Auxilary, and the churches of the Village joined in the move toward a library,
with contributions of time and energy.
On November 19, 1943, representatives
of these organizations met at historic Fairfax House and formed the Rock Hill
Village Library Association. Present
were: Mr. & Mrs. Marple, Dr. & Mrs. Adams, W. J. H. Brock, W. Donnan,
Mrs. A. E. Cunliff, Mrs. F. E. Greenberry, Frank Hoffstetter, Paul Hartzke,
Carson Ligon, Mr. Bobbitt, H. P. Tudor, and E. E. Asselmeier.
Then came the volunteer work of
canvassing 720 homes, obtaining 580 contributions ranging from $1 upwards. The P.T.A. appropriated some money; the
Lions Club, and the School Board also made contributions. The Rock Hill Improvement Association
provided the two second floor rooms in Fairfax House, rent free for the new
library.
Donated time by citizens was utilized
listing books and catalogues, preparing the building with shelves, etc., and
decorating the building. It progressed
to where an agency was needed to supervise the library, and a Board of
Directors was established. Marple was
President, E. L. Stackle, Treasurer, Mrs. Darrah, Secretary. Other members were Mrs. Harold Dunaway, Miss
Josephine McGrath, Dr. Adams, Mrs. Brock, Mrs. Bryan, Mrs. Curtis, and Mrs.
Zumwalt.
Gifts of books came from many sources
and from many miles. Residents,
librarians from Clayton, Kirkwood, Maplewood, and Webster Groves, all donated.
Many residents volunteered time to
staff the library without pay during open hours. Mrs. Darrah was the Librarian, and Mrs. Marple, Assistant
Librarian. Associate Librarians were
Mrs. J. J. Bussey, Mrs. A. Reissig, Mrs. Evelyn Lundin, Miss Ruth
Schmidtberger, Mrs. Oliver Nielson, Mrs. D. W. Schrader, Mrs. L. Nortman, Miss
Josephine McGrath, Mrs. W. Norton, Mrs. Ione Hichman, Mrs. Frank Petzold, Mrs.
W. McDaniel, Miss Olivette Tackle, Mrs. F. Weaver, Mrs. Barton, Mrs. Ralph
Gregory, Miss Dian Cook, Miss Shirley Winkle, Mrs. J. C. Bryan, Mrs. J. H.
Curtis, and Mrs. Leroy Wobbe. A book
committee who trained volunteers in Library procedure, and a finance committee
solved the problem of providing library facilities for Rock Hill children.
There were 1600 books on the shelves
when the Library opened on June 4, 1944, in Fairfax House. All were volunteers except a janitor who
tended the furnace. The Library was open
two days a week.
In August of 1944, Mrs. Darrah moved
from Rock Hill and Mrs. Brock became Librarian. When Mr. Marple moved, Mrs. Brock succeeded him as President of
the Board of Directors. Operations
continued smoothly and the Library was moved to the first floor of Fairfax House.
Two years after the Library started,
when funds were raised for a Memorial to World War II dead, it was thought more
fitting to use the money as a “Living Memorial” in additional books for the
Library and the names of the war dead placed in a prominent place in the
Library. Larry Weaver was then
President of the Library Board, and Vice President of the Rock Hill Memorial
Library Association.
The Library tax proposed in April 2,
1946, was defeated, and the Library halted issuance of books for two weeks. Then Mrs. John Corcoran offered to operate
the library for six months with the support of Albert Todoroff, President, Mrs.
Corcoran, Librarian, and Mrs. G. Seegers, Secretary of the Board, giving free
time and energy. The Library weathered
the uncertain period.
A year later a tax proposal was
resubmitted and approved. At the same
time a St. Louis County Library tax was submitted. If the 10˘ County Tax was approved, Rock Hill would have to pay
it if they had no Library of their own.
If they voted their own Library funds, they would be exempt from the
County Tax. Rock Hill proposed 10˘ per
$100 valuation. The taxes were approved
by the voters. The fight for tax
support of the library had been won.
But there remained a legal battle—county organization. Seegers argued successfully that Rock Hill
School District had contributed to the Library support and thus was supported
by public taxation. So the court upheld
the viewpoint and Rock Hill was not subject to the County Tax and could
maintain its own Library.
After passage of the tax, a Board of
Trustees replaced the Board of Directors.
Todoroff was President. Members
were Oliver C. Parmely, Mrs. Oscar Jennewein, Dr. Adams, Mrs. Corcoran, Rev. C.
W. Julier, Mrs. W. E. McDaniel, G. L. Seegers and Mrs. Zumwalt. Rev. Julier later became President of the
Board. Parmely also served as Board
President.
On a solid financial base the Library
expanded and grew. A full-time
librarian was hired. The Library was
separated into an adult room and a children’s room. A Child-Parent hour was included in its services.
In 1957 the City of Rock Hill
purchased the Old Lions Club Property at 9620 Manchester Road, the eventual
site for the new city hall. The board
voted to move the Library into the building on the property since there was
enough space to expand the Library’s services.
Open house was held September 29, 1957.
The Library Board of Trustees consisted of Larry Weaver, President; G.
E. Sebastian, Vice-president; Mrs. G. L. Seegers, Secretary; and Mrs. E. C.
Schilling, Treasurer. Members were Mrs.
Oscar Jennewein, Mrs. T. G. Cullinane, John J. Spano, Richard Wassell, and
Willard Given. The Librarian was Mrs.
John Corcoran, and Mrs. Carrie Purvis was Assistant Librarian.
The new facilities had an office
room, a parent-child hour activity, book reviews, a conference room or study
room and space for more books, plus being centrally located and having larger
parking space.
There were 6336 books, and an assistant librarian was added to the staff. Book circulation ranged between 2500 and 3000 a month.
While the new city hall and library
facilities were under construction, the Library was housed in the Rock Hill
Presbyterian Church in 1963 and 1964.
The old library was razed for the new construction.
The new Rock Hill Library and City
Hall was completed and dedicated May 16, 1965.
The Library owned 20,000 volumes and had a staff of five people.*
In August of 2005 the Rock Hill Public Library was forced to vacate its location in the City Hall building due to redevelopment. The former City Hall building was sold. The Library moved to its current location at 9741 Manchester Rd. in the Colonial Square Shopping Center. Designed by Bond Wolf Architects and built by Muccigrosso Construction Inc., the new 3700 square foot library took five months to complete. The Library reopened January 3, 2006. The Rock Hill Public Library
owns 33,700 volumes and offers a collection of 2100 Videotapes, DVDs and
CDs. In 2004 the Library circulated
47,000 items. The Library provides free
Internet service as well as free Word Processing. The Library offers Preschool Story-time and a Summer Reading
program. The Rock Hill Public Library
is a member of the Municipal Library Consortium of St. Louis County. The Municipal Library Consortium of St.
Louis County consists of nine independent community libraries in St. Louis
County, Missouri. A valid library card from
any of the member libraries can be used in any other MLC library. Your library
card opens up to you a collection of over 500,000 volumes which are held by
member libraries.
The Rock Hill Public Library has a
staff of seven including the Director and a Children’s Librarian.
In 2004 the Rock Hill Public Library
is celebrating 60 years of service to the community.
*Information
provided by Celeste Blann author of The History of Rock Hill.