“The only thing that you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.” – Albert Einstein

In the Town of Scottsville, VA, the library isn’t hard to find. Just two blocks north of Main Street, the Scottsville branch of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library sits in the heart of town. Families routinely walk to the library to check out and return books, attend a program, or just play in the Children’s Area. Community members can reserve the library’s large meeting room, use a computer inside the main room, or log onto the library’s Wi-Fi while enjoying the garden seating area outside.

A vital part of Scottsville life, the branch is a product of residents’ dedicated efforts to build (and rebuild) a public library to serve the area. On June 4, 2024, the community gathered to celebrate their library’s 65th anniversary with a plaque unveiling, remarks from Library Director David Plunkett and JMRL Trustee Peter Morville, and music by Mayor Ron Smith’s band, Four Hits and a Miss.

It began with a party

The dream of a library in Scottsville reaches back to the turn of the twentieth century. On June 19, 1902, a benefit was held in “Beal’s Hall.” Guests came dressed as storybook characters, and prizes were given to those who identified the most books and authors. Benefit proceeds became the seed money for a small library situated in an old school building at the corner of Main and Valley Streets.

Mrs. J.V. Pereira, the wife of a local banker, opened the library every Wednesday afternoon with the help of Miss Marietta Powers. In 1908, Mr. Pereira built a new bank across the street and the library moved into a room there. When Mrs. Pereira left town, she gave the books to Miss Powers who moved the collection to a small building adjacent to the Methodist Church. Until her death in 1953, Miss Powers worked in the library without pay. She charged a five-cent fee for borrowing a book and used the money to buy new books. Upon her death, the library’s 1,000 books were purchased by local resident, Grover Cleveland, for $40.

the beginning of the regional library system

Although Scottsville was without a library, the bookmobile came from McIntire Library in Charlottesville and parked two hours a week in front of the school. This cooperative venture of the Charlottesville and Albemarle County marked the beginning of the regional library system.

By the late 1950’s patrons wanted expanded service and worked diligently to open a library in a former drugstore on Valley Street. The Scottsville Branch Library opened on June 4, 1959, with 1,500 donated books. Open for sixteen hours a week, the new library was governed by a local board, with rent of the building and the salary of the branch’s first librarian, Mrs. Brent Dorrier, paid by McIntire Library. The next six years saw circulation and book stock grow dramatically and Mrs. Louise Philpott succeeded Mrs. Dorrier as librarian.

a new building

In 1965, the library moved into a former two-room schoolhouse on the corner of Bird and Page Streets. Renovation of the building by the Fairhaven Garden Club, Uniroyal, Lions Club, Chamber of Commerce and other volunteers, according to Scottsville on the James by Virginia Moore, afforded “a large pleasant room where the librarian, Mrs. Mary Stone, was ready to help any patron who wanted to sit and read periodicals or check out books”. For the next 15 years many improvements were made to the building, the collection grew to 13,000, and circulation rose to over 25,000 a year as the library became an increasingly important community resource for learning and recreation. In 1975, Mrs. Louise Holt became branch head.

scottsville library ‘rises from the ashes’

In September 1980 the library was hit by lightning and almost totally destroyed by fire. Now the community spirit which helped Scottsville survive a number of serious James River floods resurfaced. A small army of volunteers transformed an old cannery building across the street into a temporary library with donated books and the 1,700 books that could be salvaged from the damaged collection. In May of 1982, ground was broken for a new building at the site of the old one and on December 29, 1982, the current 3900 square foot building opened. John Farmer, architect of the new building, shared his recollections of the rebuilding process:

“The Scottsville community rose to the occasion with donated books, fundraisers, other support and, ‘like phoenix rising from the ashes’ (a quote heard often) worked for a new building and restored library service in Scottsville. Albemarle County hired me as the architect for the new (current) building and Mrs. Holt gave me directions, which included advice to look around Scottsville and design a compatible structure. Her exact words were a little more direct but clearly the message was to avoid “modernistic” design.”

The columns preserved from the original building now reside in the Children’s Area, and were painted with nature murals by a local artist in 2022. The Scottsville Library, now open 52 hours a week, boasts a collection of more than 22,000 items and a circulation of approximately 7,000 items a month. The library continues to evolve, and to provide a space for everyone in the community and beyond to grow, learn and connect.

For more information, visit jmrl.org/scottsville.