Kerrville gets a new library, Part 1

In 1967, the Butt-Holdsworth Memorial Library opened in Kerrville.  It was a gift from Howard and Mary Elizabeth Butt to our community, built as a memorial to their families.  It was built on Water Street, just down the road from our print shop, the exact same year I learned to read -- and so I always thought the library had been built just for me.  In a way, I suppose it was: it was built for people who love to read.

The building was a modern marvel when it was built -- and the dedication was a really big event.  Lady Bird Johnson was there.

Here are some rare photographs of the event from my collection of historic photographs of Kerrville and Kerr County.

Click on any image to enlarge

This house was removed to make way for the
Butt-Holdsworth Memorial Library.  Note the little porch.

The old library, at the corner of Rodriguez and Water Street.
The sign on the door says "This Library is Closed."

At least some of the books were moved from the old library
to the new by children using wagons.

It was a lot of work, but the books moved to the new library.

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