Note: This article published May 13, 2026.

The building at 212 South Gaston Street housing the Transylvania County Library turns twenty on May 13, 2026. This celebratory moment is an opportunity to reflect on the history of the Library in our county. A new local history display is ready for visitors on the 2^nd floor, just outside the Local History Room. It highlights the many people and memories centered around the Library as a community center and information hub. The exhibit will be on display May-October 2026 anytime the 2^nd floor is open to the public.

The exhibit features artifacts from the library’s over 100 years of service in Transylvania County, highlighting the various buildings, bookmobiles, and art that is part of our community’s Library.

Library Beginnings

The citizens of Transylvania County have always desired knowledge and learning. Even before community libraries began, wealthier citizens had large collections of books they were willing to lend out. Schools and churches often accumulated libraries, as those places were natural community centers that could act as a central location for the exchange of books and ideas.

When prominent Transylvanian William Lowndes Hume passed away in 1903, he bequeathed his personal library to the Town of Brevard specifically to establish a public library. This put a few hundred volumes into storage until a more organized solution was found. A room on the second floor of the Fraternity Building (currently Bracken Mountain Bakery) hosted the very first library in 1911, which was open one day per week and staffed by volunteers.

UDC Library (Courthouse Lawn)

The local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy began to organize around the same time and were looking for a permanent home for their meetings. Local leader Annie Jean Gash and other UDC Chapter 1353  members came up with the idea to create a chapter house for meetings that would double as a community library for a small membership fee.

A local real estate investment firm, Appalachian Club Estates, owned a small green bungalow on the corner of the same lot as the county courthouse that served as their office. The firm didn’t last, and when they went bankrupt the UDC bought the bungalow in foreclosure. In 1912 the UDC organized officially, in part because establshing a regular chapter house helped them meet the chapter criteria.

The first few hundred books that began the collection had a Confederate history slant, and so the group began to seek out donations to expand the collection to include other topics and create a more rounded adult lending library. The earliest library did not have a children’s collection or allow children to become members.

For many years the membership library operated out of this structure on the courthouse lawn. Because it had been created for a real estate firm which had been attempting to sell mountain-living to buyers, the structure was partially constructed out of stripped logs that acted as pillars for the wide wrap-around porch. In 1918 the library was cramped and to expand the space the porch was enclosed and public restrooms built, making the library home to the first women’s public restroom in Transylvania County.  Surprisingly, that restroom was a liberating addition because it allowed women to more comfortably engage in the public sphere without being tethered to the home and proximity to feminine facilities.

Enclosing the porch had unexpected repercussions for the library collection in later years. Reports indicate that a “sawed-off stump” that was part of the building introduced termites which often threatened the collection. The stump may have been these wooden pillars that became part of the internal structure when they were sawed off to enclose the porch.

Volunteers ran the first library, and UDC president Daisy Norton is acknowledged as the first library director. A few months into her tenure, she delegated and created a committee for operations, including Mrs. A.H. Caldwell as director, Katherine Erwin, Margaret Breese, Beulah McMinn Zachary, Lila Riley, Eva Puette Smith, Edith Hunt, and Sue Hunt.

Non-Profit Transition

Library management often changed throughout the 1920s and 1930s, as various civic groups and even Brevard College took on ensuring the continuous operation of a public library.

Due in large part to the efforts of first Board President, Jennie Taylor Orr, in 1944 Transylvania County Library incorporated into a non-profit organization with its own identity beyond the UDC. With this change, the UDC leased the land and building to TCL Incorporated.

To be a true library and qualify for state funding, a librarian with a degree was required to be the director, and so Elizabeth Kapp was brought in to tackle the job. She served from 1944-1982, cementing her status as “the” librarian for Transylvania County for nearly four decades.

Bookmobile service began during this era. In 1948 Ms. Kapp used her own vehicle for book delivery service and met patrons at set stops, such as schools and stores. The next year in 1949 she secured state aid funds to purchase a converted half-ton Chevy truck with shelves accessible from lift-up panels on the outside. In 1951 Mrs. Lola Cheek took on bookmobile responsibilities and remained the driver until 1969.

TCL Inc. ran the UDC location library for the next 11 years, until they realized they needed to upgrade their facilities to accommodate a growing collection – and to outrun the termites that threatened to eat it alive.

Main Street Library (currently Veteran’s Museum)

In 1955 a new library was beginning to be built on a lot just behind the tiny UDC library which was reportedly “busting at the seams.” The new brick building, very modern for the time, was quadruple the size of the previous library (now the Veteran’s Museum). Local cabinet-maker Walter Cantrell is recorded as having hand-made the fir library furniture including shelving and tables for a cost of what would be about $12,000 in today’s currency.

In 1957 when the building was ready to move in, the Brevard Jaycees helped to move all of the books from the old building to the new. Once the building had been cleared it was demolished. At this time the Friends of the Library (FOL) were organized in Transylvania County for the first time as an AAUW project. The large booksales that AAUW and FOL both still run likely started with these initiatives.

The FOL sponsored programs such as storytimes, exhibits, displays, and new equipment. Library services began to take on an expanded meaning, both nationally and in Transylvania County, as film screenings, kids activities, and reference services were added to offerings, as well as new types of media, such as vinyl records.

In 1960 a new bookmobile was needed, and so a Boyertown custom-built walk-in vehicle was commissioned which allowed patrons to step inside to choose books. The nicknamed “Blue-Green Turtle” served the community from 1960-1976. After Lola Cheek retired in 1969, she passed the bookmobile keys to Jean Plemmons from 1969-1973, followed by Zella Mae Robinson as driver from 1973-1975.

Broad Street Library (currently County Administration)

In 1974 the Brevard Post Office had outgrown its location, and the county was deciding what to do with the former post office building. With some renovations, it became the location of the Transylvania County Library. This building would house the library until 2006. When this Broad Street library was ready, the books were moved to the new location by the Schenck Job Corps, AARP members, and the Friends of the Library.

In 1976 a new bookmobile was needed, and so a second-hand bookmobile from Greenville, NC was purchased which became lovingly known as “Big Orange.” Big Orange served the county from 1976-1983. In that time Dot Rogers was the driver from 1976-1977, and then Dottie Vaniman served one of the longest tenures as driver from 1978-1993.

In 1982 the County officially adopted the Library as a department, shifting away from the non-profit status that was so variable in funding to a more reliable source with county budgeting. The City of Brevard had sometimes helped to support the library but bowed out with this new departmental status.

The non-profit TCL Inc. changed its name to the Transylvania County Library Foundation, a name which it still operates under today. The Foundation provides capital funding for building projects, staff travel and training, big-name author visits and speakers, local history & archives, and new technologies.

In 1983 the fourth bookmobile was bought: a Pioneer II built by Gerstenlager Company in Ohio. Senior BHS student Katarina Driggers won the art contest to design the logo. This big, white vehicle was known as “Moby Dick”.  Dottie Vaniman started out as the driver (1978-1993), but there was also Linda Raxter (1993-1995), and Karen Plumley (1995-2008).

Major Renovations

In 1986 some major renovations were undertaken at the Library when the Children’s Wing and first Historical Room were created. The Sarah Keels Tilson Historical Room was little more than a nook with local history materials added in memory of a devoted volunteer historian. The Children’s Wing, on the other hand, was a major construction project that added much needed space for the Children’s collection, as well as a built-in small stage for performers and storytimes. This wing is now the County Commissioner’s Chambers in the County Administration Building.

and storytimes. This wing is now the County Commissioner’s Chambers in the County Administration Building.

Technology Evolves

As life progressed into the ‘90s, technology became an important part of library service like never before. The building’s first singular computer in 1989 was in the library director David Singleton’s office and was used by him for official correspondence and cataloging the entire collection. The card catalog that so many people remember from historical libraries became a thing of the past as the catalog moved to an electronic format accessible from computer. New technology in scanning and computerized cataloging streamlined the checkout process when bar codes were added to library items in 1994, and the increasing need for reliable internet access was evident when public access to computers and internet were first offered in 1997.

Gaston Street Library (current library building)

The library has always been well-loved in Transylvania County, and a library building fund began as early as 1994 for the structure that is used today. The Library remained a popular location, but the limitations of the Broad Street location such as parking led the community to seek out ways to build a newer, bigger library. The county pledged about one-third of the cost, the Library Foundation about one-third, and the remaining one-third was provided by personal donations ranging from $50 to $500,000 that was personally donated by former Congressman Charles Taylor.

The new 35,000 square foot library building designed by Little Diversified Architectural Consulting in Charlotte, NC and built by H&M Constructors of Asheville reflected the changing needs of communities and how libraries adapt to meet them. The problematic parking would be solved with this new library, and it would also include new features such as a drive-through book return, an amphitheater to allow cultural performances, the large Rogow Community Meeting Room that could host not only library-events, but those of the significant non-profit sector, and the Local History Room, which became the consolidated home for many archival materials that had been spread out in less-than-archival storage across the county.

As the building neared completion in May 2006, patrons were encouraged to check out lots of books and take them home so that when it was time to return them, they could simply be returned to the new location. For all the titles that remained on shelves, moving day arrived and Friends of the Library, staff, and community members joined together in a “book brigade” to carry the titles by hand to the new location. The rainy weather meant that many books were tucked into jackets, but it is still an emotionally moving picture to see the community effort.

Continued Growth

As the Library on Gaston Street grew, bookmobile services continued to thrive and show the need for a new vehicle. The next bookmobile was purchased as a custom-build from Mathews Specialty Vehicles in Greensboro, NC which included an awning, PA system, HVAC unit, and plans for internet access. Gary Greene, who had previously worked in the Youth Services section, became the bookmobile driver from 2008-2009. Starting in 2009 Brenda Ivers became the bookmobile driver and is still the smiling face that many greet today when they get their books, movies, and other checkouts on-the-go.

The most recent capital project that the community may notice is the Foundation-supported construction of architecturally harmonious and durable awnings at the amphitheater, which will provide weather protection and shade for the many bands that appear during the free concert series in June and September, outdoor yoga enthusiasts, and any events from community non-profits that may book the area.

The preceding history is truly just a fraction of the many events, people, and memories associated with the Transylvania County Library, which continues to grow in its service to patrons by offering more and more events, activities, materials to borrow, community connections, and technology with every opportunity. Our library will be an icon of community values for the foreseeable future, demonstrating how important education and community are to Transylvanians. Learn more about your library and what it has to offer: https://library.transylvaniacounty.org/.

Photos and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library. This article was written by Laura Sperry, Local History Librarian. Sources available upon request.