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The Mary Willis Library serves Wilkes County in
Northeast Georgia, a land area of 470 square miles and a population estimated by the
Office of Planning and Budgets to be 10,560. |
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LIBRARY HOURS |
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| 10am - 5:30pm: Mon, Wed, Fri |
| 10am - 8pm: Tues, Thurs |
| 10am - 4pm: Sat |
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| The Mary Willis Library will be closed on: |
- Sundays
- New Years Day
- Library Holiday (April 26)
- National Memorial Day,
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving
- Friday after Thanksgiving
- Dec 24th through Dec 26th |
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DIRECTIONS |
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| From Athens
Take Hwy 78 East to Washington. Travel through Crawford, Lexington, and Rayle. Several
miles beyond the airport and Callaway Plantation, at the bypass fork, bear right to downtown.
Continue 1 or 2 miles through 2 traffic lights. At the 3rd traffic light, turn right. Go 1 block.
You will see the library on the corner behind Regions bank. You may park either in the Regions
bank parking lot or behind the Mary Willis Library. The parking lot behind the library is closest
to the meeting rooms.
From Thomson/McDuffie Library and Hwy #78/GA 17
Exit left out of rear parking lot of Thomson/McDuffie Library. At stop sign, turn left. Go
to traffic light (this is US 78 & GA 17). Turn right continuing on this road, crossing I-20 and
continue 20+ miles to Washington. At the 1st traffic light, turn left. Go through the next light
and continue about 1.5 miles to the next light. Turn left onto S. Alexander Avenue. Go one block
and turn right onto Liberty Street. About half-way down the block, turn right into Regions Bank
parking lot. The library is across the street.
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| Map Directions |
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HISTORY |
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| Mary Willis Library was founded in 1888 by Dr. Francis T. Willis in
memory of his daughter and as a gift to the people of his hometown and county. An 1894 catalog
of the library states that the cost of the building was $15,000, the furniture and the first
collection of books, $2,000, and that a fund of $10,000 was provided as endowment. Dr. Willis,
who moved from Washington in 1867 to Richmond, Virginia, also donated his personal library, as
did his half-brother, Samuel Barnett, first president of the library trustees.
Architect Edmund Lind of Atlanta designed a brick building in the warm brick tones and
picturesque profile of the fashionable high-Victorian style. Tall stained-glass windows light the
high beamed interior where original furnishings are still in use. The central window commemorating
Mary Willis was made at the Tiffany Factory in New Haven.
A Library annex designed by architects Kuhlke and Wade of Augusta was completed in April 1977.
It combined elements of the 1888 structure with a functional floor plan, adding 4,459 square feet
for a total of 7,114 square feet of floor space.
Another major addition-renovation of the Mary Willis Library was completed in October 1991,
adding 5,267 square feet to almost completely occupy its town lot. Architect Edmund Maddox of
Savannah designed the new space and W.R. Reddick, Inc., of Thomson directed the construction with
Rhycof Design Associates completing the interior design.
In addition to the collection of current library materials, Mary Willis Library has an
invaluable core collection of rare books on Wilkes and Georgia history, books by local authors,
family memorabilia and Washington newspapers. In 1972 the Library was included in the National
Register of Historic Sites.
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FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY |
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| Supporting Your Local Library |
The Friends group was founded in 1965 to support the Mary Willis
Library, Wilkes County's public library.
The Friends support the library staff and promote the library's programs in the community.
Special projects sponsored by the friends include:
- Book Fairs
- Summer Reading Clubs
- Little Theater Benefit
- Used Book Sales
- Author Dinners
- Receptions for artists and authors
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| Meetings |
| Meetings are quarterly on the second Thursday in February, May,
September, and November at 4:00 P.M. |
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| Membership |
| Citizens interested in the library and its programs are invited to
join. Contact the Mary Willis Library for information on how to join the Friends or visit a regularly
scheduled Friends meeting. |
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TRUSTEES & LIBRARIANS |
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| Board of Trustees |
- Samuel Barnett, President
- O.S. Barnett, Secretary-Treasurer
- Charles A. Alexander
- Frank H. Colley
- William M. Reese
- Benjamin S. Irvin
- Frank W. Barnett |
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| Head Librarians |
- Carrie Dyson Turner (1889-1916)
- Hardeman Toombs Woods (1916-1925)
- Kathleen Colley (1925-1964)
- Marjorie S. Morrow (1965-1988)
- Celeste A. Stover (1988-present) |
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