Mary Willis Library
Encyclopedia
The Mary Willis Library is a historic public library
located in the city of Washington
, in the U.S. state of Georgia
. The library, located at 204 East Liberty Street (corner of East Liberty and South Jefferson) in downtown Washington, is the designated public library for Wilkes County
and headquarters of the Bartram Trail
Regional Library System. Built in 1889 in red brick and featuring Tiffany glass
, the Mary Willis Library was listed with the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
on April 11, 1972.
in 1867, left the library as a gift to his hometown and its citizens. Dr. Willis donated his own private collection of books, plus fifteen thousand dollars for the library's construction, two thousand dollars to purchase furnishings and more books, and another ten thousand dollars as an endowment fund.
Noted Atlanta architect Edmund George Lind
designed the library in the Queen Anne
style, with masonry
construction featuring detailed brickwork, a steeply gabled roof
and a dome-capped tower. The library interior is lit by stained glass
windows, including the central memorial window which was crafted by Tiffany Studios
. The historic original 1889 construction covered a size of 2,655 ft2 (246.7 m2).
By 1977, the facility had outgrown its original space, and an addition was needed. Architects Kuhlkhe and Wade of Augusta
designed an annex which was attached to Lind's historic original structure. This first annex added 4,459 ft2 (414.3 m2) of floor space. A second, even larger addition of 5,267 ft2 (489.3 m2) was completed in 1991, designed by architect Edmund Maddox of Savannah
. Today's facility, at 12,381 ft2 (1150.2 m2) is over four and a half times the size of the of the original.
The collection at Mary Willis Library includes at its core a number of rare books on local and state history, books by authors native to the Washington-Wilkes County area, genealogical archives, and historic memorabilia and newspapers from Washington's past.
to form a regional library system. Today, the Bartram Trail Regional Library System is headquartered at Mary Willis Library. The Bartram Trail system services Wilkes County, where Mary Willis Library is located, Taliaferro County, and McDuffie County
. Mary Willis is joined in the Bartram Trail system by two branch libraries, the Taliaferro County Library in Crawfordville
and the Thomson-McDuffie County Library in Thomson
.
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
located in the city of Washington
Washington, Georgia
Washington is a city in Wilkes County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,295 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Wilkes County...
, in the U.S. state of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. The library, located at 204 East Liberty Street (corner of East Liberty and South Jefferson) in downtown Washington, is the designated public library for Wilkes County
Wilkes County, Georgia
Wilkes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 10,687. The 2007 Census estimate shows a population of 10,262. The county seat is the city of Washington. Referred to as "Washington-Wilkes", the county seat and county are commonly treated as a...
and headquarters of the Bartram Trail
Bartram Trail
The Bartram Trail follows the approximate route of 18th-century naturalist William Bartram’s southern journey from March, 1773 to January, 1777. Bartram explored much of the territory which is now the states of North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and...
Regional Library System. Built in 1889 in red brick and featuring Tiffany glass
Tiffany glass
Tiffany glass refers to the many and varied types of glass developed and produced from 1878 to 1933 at the Tiffany Studios, by Louis Comfort Tiffany....
, the Mary Willis Library was listed with the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on April 11, 1972.
First Free Library
The Mary Willis Library was the first free public library in the state of Georgia when it opened in 1889. The free library was a revolutionary concept in a day when all the state's earlier libraries charged users a subscription fee. The library was founded the previous year by Dr. Francis T. Willis in memory of his daughter, Mary. Dr. Willis, a local by birth who had moved to Richmond, VirginiaRichmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
in 1867, left the library as a gift to his hometown and its citizens. Dr. Willis donated his own private collection of books, plus fifteen thousand dollars for the library's construction, two thousand dollars to purchase furnishings and more books, and another ten thousand dollars as an endowment fund.
Noted Atlanta architect Edmund George Lind
Edmund George Lind
Edmund George Lind was an English-born American architect, active in Baltimore, Atlanta, and the American south.Lind was born in Islington, now a part of London, England; his father, Alexander Lind, was an engraver who had fought on the British side at the Battle of Bunker Hill...
designed the library in the Queen Anne
Queen Anne Style architecture (United States)
In America, the Queen Anne style of architecture, furniture and decorative arts was popular in the United States from 1880 to 1910. In American usage "Queen Anne" is loosely used of a wide range of picturesque buildings with "free Renaissance" details rather than of a specific formulaic style in...
style, with masonry
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
construction featuring detailed brickwork, a steeply gabled roof
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
and a dome-capped tower. The library interior is lit by stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows, including the central memorial window which was crafted by Tiffany Studios
Tiffany glass
Tiffany glass refers to the many and varied types of glass developed and produced from 1878 to 1933 at the Tiffany Studios, by Louis Comfort Tiffany....
. The historic original 1889 construction covered a size of 2,655 ft2 (246.7 m2).
By 1977, the facility had outgrown its original space, and an addition was needed. Architects Kuhlkhe and Wade of Augusta
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
designed an annex which was attached to Lind's historic original structure. This first annex added 4,459 ft2 (414.3 m2) of floor space. A second, even larger addition of 5,267 ft2 (489.3 m2) was completed in 1991, designed by architect Edmund Maddox of Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
. Today's facility, at 12,381 ft2 (1150.2 m2) is over four and a half times the size of the of the original.
The collection at Mary Willis Library includes at its core a number of rare books on local and state history, books by authors native to the Washington-Wilkes County area, genealogical archives, and historic memorabilia and newspapers from Washington's past.
Regional Library
The library's private endowment continued to fund operations until 1967, when Mary Willis Library joined with the library in neighboring Taliaferro CountyTaliaferro County, Georgia
Taliaferro County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 2,077, making it the least populous county east of the Mississippi River. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 1,884. The county seat is Crawfordville.The spelling of the...
to form a regional library system. Today, the Bartram Trail Regional Library System is headquartered at Mary Willis Library. The Bartram Trail system services Wilkes County, where Mary Willis Library is located, Taliaferro County, and McDuffie County
McDuffie County, Georgia
McDuffie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on October 18, 1870. As of 2000, the population was 21,231. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 21,551. The county seat is Thomson....
. Mary Willis is joined in the Bartram Trail system by two branch libraries, the Taliaferro County Library in Crawfordville
Crawfordville, Georgia
Crawfordville is a city in Taliaferro County, Georgia, United States. The population was 572 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Taliaferro County.-Geography:Crawfordville is located at ....
and the Thomson-McDuffie County Library in Thomson
Thomson, Georgia
Thomson, incorporated February 15, 1854, is a city in McDuffie County, Georgia, United States. The population was 6,828 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of McDuffie County. Thomson's nickname is "The Camellia City of the South", in honor of the thousands of camellia plants...
.