The present location
of the Oak Hill Public Library is 226 South Front Street,
Oak Hill, Ohio where it was established in 2004.
The idea for a public library started in April 1935
and grew through the efforts of the Clionion Club -
Oak Hill's only women's club at that time. The club
was organized as a book review Club. All the members
pooled their books together, with approximately 100
books. The first library was started and located in
3 small rooms on Main Street.
A committee was formed to find suitable space for the
library with a donation of approximately 600 books from
the State Library and funds donated by local merchants.
The library moved twice to larger quarters.
By 1955, the library began to receive some operating
funds from the county's intangible taxes and was able
to build a nice stock of books. Helen Seidel Davis (wife
of E.J. Davis) became a board member and was concerned
about the deteriorating condition of the building in
which the library was located.
Mr. & Mrs. E. J. Davis gave a generous memorial
gift to the Village of Oak Hill, a lot and a new library
building on 316 West Main Street - under the condition
that the library not bear the Davis's name. It was to
be called Oak Hill Public Library. In 1989, an addition
to the building doubled the original space to 3,600
feet.
The current library was built in 2004 with approximately
9,890 feet. The Oak Hill Public Library held its grand
opening on October 17, 2004. The meeting room was dedicated
in the memory of Estella Jones Jenkins, a member of
the Clionion Club and one of the original ladies who
played a major role in establishing the first library
in the community of Oak Hill.
The library became a member of South East Regional Library System,
the local Regional library system, in 1997.
|