Remembering Our Village Library
ant Library opened on June 19, 1931, as a branch of the Charleston Free Library. It was housed in a small one-room building next
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BY MARGARET ANN MICHELS PHOTOGRAPHY BY KAYLA JONES
to the old post office on Church Street. Te library eventually moved to a little house on the corner of Hibben and Church streets. According to “Te History of Mount Pleasant” by Petrona Royall McIver, this temporary space was originally Huthmack- ers Drugstore and was located in the yard of Mrs. Julia Hamlin. In the 1940s, mem- bers of the Mount Pleasant Exchange Club raised funds for a new building, and their donations were combined with allot- ments from Charleston County and the town of Mount Pleasant, which provided space at 430 Whilden St. Other organizations contrib- uted money for books, and the Mount Pleas- ant Garden Club took on landscaping and maintaining the grounds; the town of Mount Pleasant now handles this job. From its exterior, the structure appears to have been a home in an earlier life, but Harold Tatum of Mount Pleasant designed it as a library. Te little brick building tucked un- der the oak trees is a fitting design for this older residential neighborhood. Te library opened on Aug. 2, 1948. Residents of the Village appreciate having a neighbor-
IMILAR TO OTHERS NATION- wide, the first library in Mount Pleas- ant was started by a group of women as a lending room. Te King’s Daughters operated it out of their hall on Whilden Street in what is now known as the Old Village. Te first official Mount Pleas-
hood library branch, and it is especially nice for introducing children to the library system. Programs include story times, crafts and shows such as Joy the Clown and the South Caro- lina Aquarium Rovers. Ann Dupre, a resident of the Village since 1973, raised her daughter going to the Village Library. “It’s not overwhelming for a child; it’s a nice contained
Top: Branch manager Marvin Stewart enjoys hearing about the library’s past from his older patrons and sharing its wonders with new users. Above: Benches in the shade of the oaks make cozy spots for reading outside.
area,” she said. “If I still had young children, I would love having this library to bring them to. I look forward to being able to bring my grandchildren there.” Dupre now finds the Village Library convenient for re- turning books borrowed from the larger Mount Pleasant Regional Library. Frank Newham has been using the Village Library since moving to Pitt Street in 1994. “It’s a tiny little thing, but they’ve got a lot of stuff in there,” he said. “You can just stop by and pick up a book, and, if they don’t have it, they’ll get it for you in a few days.” When the regional branch on Anna Knapp Boulevard opened in 1992, the Village location was expected to close, but its loyal users lobbied to save it. Librarian Marvin Stewart works to keep the branch operating by publi- cizing its programs – although some older
patrons get a little upset when he does.
“Tey like it quiet and with little competition for the books they want to read,” Stewart explained. He enjoys sharing this unintentionally well-kept secret and looks forward to celebrating the Village Library’s upcoming 65th anniversary. Now, don’t ya’ll go all at once.
For more information, visit
www.ccpl.org.
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www.iLoveMountPleasant.com |
www.MountPleasantNeighborhoods.com
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