The History:
A library in Kings Mountain began as a vision from a young couple, Haywood and Elizabeth Lynch, who moved to the area in 1935 and bought the local newspaper. Coming from a large city where cultural activities provided learning opportunities and escape from the realities of the Depression, the Lynches began a campaign to get a library for the mill town they now called home. Haywood wrote articles in his newspaper championing the cause of a public library, and soon members of the community, including the Mauneys and the Neislers, had joined the efforts.
A year later, in 1936, a library opened in a room donated by Dr. J.E. Anthony over Keeter’s Store. It contained only donated books, and the first book donated was The Life of Will Rogers given by Mr. J.P. Davis. In 1937, the library moved to the basement of City Hall with the city allocation $300 for the library in its budget. The library still grew largely from donations and from book purchases made by Haywood Lynch and Joe Mauney at inexpensive Belk and J.C. Penney book sales in Shelby. The town’s first librarian was Mrs. Bertie Hughes Campbell, and her salary was paid with a WPA grant.
It soon became apparent that the library needed a building. Liz Lynch and Ann Neisler went door to door soliciting funds for the building, with almost everyone giving something. In 1947, the children of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob S. Mauney decided to buy the Hord mansion and donate it to the City in memory of their parents as a home for the library. It was a fitting memorial to the couple who had been so actively involved in the education and betterment of Kings Mountain.
At first, the library occupied the front two rooms of the house, while the upstairs was used as a teacherage. The teacherage was a home for unmarried teachers who moved to the Kings Mountain area. Rent money from the teacherage was used to pay the librarian’s salary and buy books. During Mrs. Charles Dilling’s twenty-two year tenure as librarian, the library was expanded into four rooms of the house and the teacherage was discontinued. The upstairs floor was then converted to apartments, and in the 1970’s building codes forced the closure of the apartments.
