Patrick Heath Public Library - Boerne, TX - Libraries on Waymarking.com

"In the fall of 1951, the Boerne Grange "a fraternal family-oriented farm organization with roots in rural communities all across America", realizing that a growing community needs free and easy access to information, decided to start a public library at the suggestion of Mrs. A. J. Theis, affectionately known as Aunt Jessie. Mrs. Theis had a keen interest in the arts and education; in fact, she was a painter, taught in local schools for more than 30 years, and led a Girl Scout troop.

"So in this small room in the Fire Station, Grange members with saws, hammers, odd pieces of lumber and great enthusiasm, started and soon opened the Library"

"It was a chilly night in the fall of 1951 in a bare cold room adjacent to the fire station where they met. It was the only vacant room the City had to offer. They had no funds but there was a need. Boerne needed a public library! Farmers are pretty good carpenters. Their housewives are fair painters. Nearly everybody had a few pieces of scrap lumber. So the bare room in January, 1952, transformed by freshly painted shelves containing 400 donated books, opened formally as the Boerne Public Library with a staff of volunteer Grange librarians."

There have been several locations for the library over the years.

"On May 12, 2007, the residents of Boerne voted for a $5 million bond to build a new library. Less than a week later, the city purchased land on Main Street across from St. Helena's Episcopal Church.

The library's groundbreaking took place in May of 2010, and just over one year later, our dream of a new 30,000 square-foot, 2-story building became a reality.

The new library opened its doors on June 4, 2011, with hundreds of excited patrons eagerly checking out all the new and wonderful services in a large, light and spacious facility. In October of the same year, the unique facility was awarded the Gold level in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification."

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