ENNOTVILLE – The Ennovtville Historical Library celebrated its 175th anniversary this fall, and that’s no small feat considering it is operated by volunteers, receives no government funding, and it is not part of Wellington County’s library system.
And while it is still a library – “There are books in there,” board chair Ted Kent confirmed in an interview – these days it operates mainly as a community centre and can be rented for private functions.
The library is located at 7722 6th Line in Centre Wellington and at one time was the centre of social life in Ennotville. Just seconds from busy Highway 6, with traffic whizzing by, the library feels both miles and years away from today. And the Ennotville Historical Library is still the heart of this rural community.
It was designated a historic site by the Township of Centre Wellington in 2006.
Before there was a building, there were books.
Early settlers from England, Ireland, and Scotland brought books with them and increasingly needed a place to store and exchange donated books.
The library collection was founded in 1847 but it wasn’t long before the collection outgrew its space in someone’s home.
John Cunningham raised the money for construction, John McLaren donated the land, and stone mason Henry Penny oversaw the project. The building opened in 1856
It started with 450 volumes that increased to a peak of 5,850 books in 1930.
The library functioned for decades, until 1966, when changes to the provincial library system mandated the creation of large regional branches and the closure of smaller libraries.
“Despite this new direction, the citizens of Ennotville were adamant about keeping their library,” reads a history of the building on Canada’s Historic Places website.
“A motion was passed for the library to continue, on its own initiative, and that it be renamed the Ennotville Historical Library. Today, it is the only self-supporting library in Ontario.”
It runs as it always has, under the oversight of a board of directors and a board of trustees. A volunteer caretaker checks in on maintenance and security.
It is often booked for craft fairs, weddings, private functions, square dancing, and the newly-formed South Wellington Lions Club calls the library its home base.
“I have lived in this community all my life. My dad was on the board too,” board chair Ted Kent said in an interview.
“At one time we got a government grant every year to buy books. No books have been purchased for some time.
“But we have a few valuable books,” he added. “They are covered in wire mesh and locked up.”
A small kitchen and washroom have been added to the stone building and it sports a new roof and windows.
“It’s not a cheap place to heat,” Kent said, adding they hope to get a new furnace in the not-too-distant future.
While rentals generally cover the expenses, “every once in a while, we get a grant for upkeep.”
Kent said the celebration of the library’s 175th Anniversary in September was well-attended. In his speech, written by Jane Robertson, he recognized the big part the little library has had on the community.
“These walls hold stories and voices; laughing and crying; dancing feet and clapping hands. There were celebrations and family gatherings; meetings and lectures,” Kent said at the celebration.
“Local people know we’re here,” he said in the interview adding more information about their events and rentals can be found at the Ennotville Historical Library Facebook page.
