Frankfort Community Public Library (Frankfort, Indiana)

 theatre, library, art museum / art gallery

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The Frankfort Community Public Library originated as a subscription library in 1884. Initially, the library began as a collection of books in a back room of some law offices at the court house. Then the collection was moved to the Council Chamber only to be moved once more to the High School building. The library stayed at the High School building for five years under the direction of superintendent of schools, Edwin S. Monroe. In 1905, Superintendent Monroe wrote a letter to Andrew Carnegie. Andrew Carnegie was a self-made man who made a fortune in the steel industry. He was known for his philanthropy and for his fervent advocacy of libraries. True to his reputation, he responded to Monroe with a donation of $24,000 towards the building of a new library. (Adjusted for inflation, $24,000 in 1905 is equivalent to $461,449.70 today.) Along with the support of Frankfort tax money, the library finally got its permanent home in 1906 at the corner of Clinton and Columbia Streets.

The next notable change came in 1962 when a Board of Trustees was assigned to oversee the library and its functioning. Previous to the Board of Trustees, the library had been under the jurisdiction of the School Board.

In the early 1970's, the current director Bill Caddell was appointed. He envisioned a library that was not limited to just books and tapes but as a complete cultural center that would not only educate but would also enrich the community. Nineteen eighty-eight saw the ground breaking for what is now known as the Mary Gorham Herrick Wing. It more than tripled the square footage of the library and added a theatre as well as an art gallery. The entire wing was built with primary funding coming from generously donated gifts of money or property. Tax money was used for operation costs and with the addition of the Clinton County Contractual Library in 1984, the tax monies from the newly expanded areas of service was enough to cover the costs.

Today, residents of Frankfort and Clinton County can enjoy a library that includes the Skanta Theatre, the Anna and Harlan Hubbard and Mary and Joe McKown Art Galleries, a music room with a grand piano, Harry's Bar: The Coffee Bar Down Under, meeting rooms available for public use and a variety of programs from computer classes to jewelry making and even cooking!