The Acworth community and the Acworth Silsby Library formed a special bond right from its very beginning. In July, 1891, former resident Ithiel Homer Silsby, bequeathed $10,000 to the town for the building of a library "of brick and granite". Hira Beckwith served as architect and builder creating a double thick exterior brick wall with an air space and third brick wall and interior plaster wall, designed to ensure sufficiently dry air to protect the library's collection of books.
The interior decorations of stained glass trimming the front windows and the stenciling bordering the walls and ceiling are still adrnired today. The library was dedicated on August 10, 1892 and attended by nearly everyone in town. Private book collections and funds were donated to fill its shelves and many of those original books are still part of our present-day library collection.
The library is also the home of the Acworth Historical Society's Geneaological collection and for many of the town's archival papers.
The library has changed little since the 1890s and is now on the list of National Historic Landmarks. The Acworth Silsby Library continues to hold a special place in the community and is a central meeting point for many Acworth residents.
HISTORY
