Fortville First United Methodist Youth Center, Fortville, Indiana
Posted by: 
boatchick
N 39° 56.075 W 085° 51.008
16S E 598247 N 4421129
Fortville received one of Indiana’s last Carnegie grants.
Waymark Code: WM5R6J
Location: Indiana, United States
Date Posted: 02/05/2009
Views: 10
In 1915, citizens of Fortville, Indiana
petitioned the Hancock circuit court to establish a library. Having proven that funds were available, the court was in favor of the library, and a board was appointed. A petition was filed with the Carnegie Foundation, and in 1916, a $10,000 grant was awarded to the library board of Fortville and Vernon Township. The October 1917 issue of Library Occurrent, a publication of the Indiana State Library, indicates that “
Books are being ordered for the Carnegie library, and the work being rushed, in the hope of dedicating the building before Christmas.”; however, the library was not opened until 3 July 1918. Local merchant Arden H. Thomas was a strong supporter, donating his personal collection to the library along with shelving and a piano. The library collections were available on the ground floor, and the basement was used as an assembly room. The basement later became home to the children’s area, named the Riley Room after James Whitcomb Riley, the “Hoosier Poet”, who was born in nearby Greenfield. In 1986, the
Fortville-Vernon Township Public Library was moved to a new building. The old Carnegie building is now owned by the
First Methodist Church, who uses it for its Youth Ministry, Noah’s Ark Daycare, and Food Pantry.
References:
Library Occurrent, Volume 4, Number 12 (October 1917), Indiana Public Library Commission, Indiana State Library
Fortville-Vernon Township Public Library: About Us