HISTORICAL MOMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER

The History of the Wicomico Free Library

The roots of the Wicomico Free Library extend back in time to 1869 when a circulating library was started in a store at Main and Dock (Market) streets. After a time interest waned and for twenty-five years the town was without the semblance of a library. A circulating library with sixty members was opened in the armory March 3, 1918 with Miss Victoria Wailes the librarian.

The library was soon moved to a one-story sheet steel building on Division at the head of Camden Street. Mrs. Harry W. Wailes was the librarian. When the structure, formerly a bus depot, was razed in 1923 to clear the site for the new Wicomico Hotel, the library was moved to East Main Street where Mrs. S. King White became the librarian.

In February, 1925, local organizations formed the Salisbury Alliance to sponsor the county’s first free library. It was incorporated September 29, 1927. In 1932 the city and county agreed to share in the operating costs and the library was moved to larger quarters on Camden Street.

Walter S. Sheppard was president of the Board of Trustees when it sought public support for erection of a library building at High and Bush streets. The two-story brick building was occupied August 20, 1954. Meantime, the County Commissioners in 1947 agreed to include operating expenses of the library in its annual budget, the appropriation to be matched by the state. From that point the library began a rapid growth with expanding services and book inventory. The librarian, Mrs. S. King White, retired in April 1948 after serving twenty-five years. In that year also, the Junior Chamber of Commerce purchased a bookmobile to make the library available to communities elsewhere in the county. During the next two years Mrs. Martha Morris and Mrs. Susan Gray were librarians for relatively brief periods.

Mrs. Fred M. Horsley became the library’s administrator in 1950. By the early 1960’s the constantly increasing patronage created a need for larger facilities. A similar situation had occurred at the Police Department in City Hall. By coincidence the First Regiment armory, having been vacated for a more appropriate facility had been turned over to the city by the state. An agreement was negotiated whereby the city would move the Police Department to the library building and the library would occupy the vacant armory. City and county each agreed to contribute $50,000 toward renovating the armory for library use. E. Dale Adkins headed a building committee to raise public contributions of $176,000 to defray the remainder of the renovation expenses. The moves were made in 1962. A year later the Legislature enacted a law founding the Eastern Shore Regional Materials Resources Center which was also situated in the former armory with the County library.

In June, 1978, Mrs. Horsley retired after 28 years as administrator. She was succeeded by Arthur H. Goetz. At the same time, the latest renovation and extensive expansion of the building was started. The present modern institution was dedicated with U. S. Senator Paul S. Sarbanes, a native Salisburian, making the keynote speech.