04/19/2026
Initially, Fort Bragg only had “reading rooms” available in different locations in town. As the population grew, it eventually became clear that the town needed a public library. So, Union Lumber Company donated a lot just south of the bank building on Main Street (below the Guest House lawn), on the condition that the lot only be used for a library. The structure was completed in October 1912. Galvanized pipes ran from the mill provided steam heat. Later, there was a wood stove, then an oil stove, and then a butane furnace. There was a mezzanine, and historical items were on display.
Tragically, on September 20, 1987, the building became one of the targets of an arsonist. Needing a new location, the building on the northwest corner of Laurel and Whipple (formerly Cannarr-Fairlee Funeral Home) was purchased on May 3, 1988, where it remains. Today, there are plans to expand its space into the empty lot directly behind it, to offer more books, computers, and a gathering area.
