AUGUSTA | Tucked away on Main Street in Augusta is the Knoedler Memorial Library.
For those unfamiliar with Augusta, one might think the library was intentionally located in a former private residence. But that isn’t the case with the library’s home: it was built to look like a home on purpose.
Upon entering the library, one is met with a quiet, comfortable environment that reflects a period of time before technology and a faster pace of life took over.
That isn’t to say the library doesn’t operate without the assistance of computers and technology, which is certainly does. It’s more a feeling of “come in, browse the shelves, and sit down to read for a while.”
Librarian Karen Smithers has worked at the library since the 1970s, when she became a volunteer under then Librarian Betty Cline. It’s Karen’s job to serve as caretaker of the library, along with the library’s board of directors, which was donated to the city of Augusta by Phillip L. Knoedler in Januray 1927.
“There’s steady traffic all the time…it’s sort of a gathering place for people,” Karen said Thursday as patrons came in and out of the library returning books.
Patron Ann Becktolde visits the library at least twice a week and her favorite subject is World War II. Karen keeps her up-to-date on the latest purchases in that area.
“Our librarian knows exactly what people like to read,” Ann said.
Karen orders 18 to 20 new books each month and recycles older titles to a ministry in Cincinnati that resells used books. The arrangement is a win-win for both, since the library gets a percentage of each book sold.
Although the atmosphere of the library may be of a time gone by, Karen’s method of ordering has kept up with the times. She orders online through her book distributor Baker and Taylor and utilizes Amazon to obtain older titles or out of print titles upon patron requests.
Knoedler Memorial Library is a public library and supported through private donations and memorial gifts. The budget is supplemented by the city through recreation tax, but the primary source of revenue remains from the private sector.
Karen said without the careful stewardship of past board members and librarians, the library may have suffered during difficult times.
She credits Betty Cline and Elizabeth Parker as two of the many people whose dedication made a difference in keeping the library going.
And for Karen, the connection to the library is more than that of a job or passion for reading and knowledge. Her family has had ties to the library since Phillip L. Knoedler gave the money to build the library. At the time, her grandfather, Matthew J. Hennessey was city attorney and accepted the library gift on behalf of the city.
Her Aunt Ceil Hennessey, along with Ada Robbins were the first librarians when the library opened in 1928.
Incorporated into modern selections of fiction and non-fiction by such writers as James Patterson, John Grishom, Danielle Steele and Nora Roberts, older novels and classics line the lower bookshelves. Some titles date to the 1880s, others have copyright dates of 1927 and 1932. There is a collection of reference books, genealogy materials, state and county history titles, a children’s library and more.
The bookshelves reflect the dedication of the community and library patrons. Brass plates engraved with the names of family members or friends are attached to the shelves, in honor of or in memory of those individuals.
Hanging above the bookshelves in the front room is a portrait of Phillip L. Knoedler. Photographs of his parents, Louis P. and Mary Knoedler hang above the fireplace mantle, flanking the chimney. One can imagine they are pleased with how well the library has been taken care of and the pleasure it has provided to so many who have walked through the door since its opening in 1928.Â
Phillip L. Knoelder grew up in Augusta before moving to Chicago in 1893. He was born April 7, 1869, to Louis Phillip Knoedler and Mary Buckner Gibeons Knoedler.Â
Born in 1839, his father established a successful wholesale and retail drug business in Augusta after the American Civil War. His mother was a descendant of Augusta’s two oldest families, the Buckners and Talleferros. The couple had five children. Louis died in 1919; Mary died in 1921.
According to a newspaper story at the time, the Knoedler children assembled in Augusta on New Year’s Day 1927 for a dinner at the Parkview Hotel with the intent to announce the gift of the library in memory of their parents. The guests assembled were: Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Knoedler of Chicago, Mr. and Mrs. F. W. McKinney of Norfolk, Va., Mr. and Mrs. Augustus Robbins of Augusta, Mr. and Mrs. W.G. Knoedler of Chicago; Mr. and Mrs. Louis S. Knoedler of Chicago; Judge and Mrs. M.L. Harbeson of Covington, Mr. and Mrs. Marion Lauderbach of Augusta. Mr. and Mrs. John S. Orr were unable to attend.
In 1986, Anna Louise Knoedler Stout, granddaughter of Phillip Knoelder, left a monetary gift to the library which enabled the board to add a room off the main reading room. In 2004, Dr. Charles and Mildred Work of Cincinnati, left a monetary gift which enabled the board to construct the room at the rear of the building. The expansion provided space for a dedicated children’s library.
Built in the style of a private residence, the Knoedler Library has wonderful architectural features and a fireplace that invites one to sit down and read. Photographs of Louis Phillip and Mary Buckner Gibeons Knoedler flank the fireplace chimney.
Librarian Karen Smithers has worked at the library since the 1970s, when she began as a volunteer. Her connection to the library goes deeper than her love of reading. Her Aunt Ceil Hennessey, along with Ada Robbins, were the first librarians at Knoedler and her grandfather, City Attorney Matthew J. Hennessey accepted the library on behalf of the city.
In 2004, a generous gift from Dr. Charles and Mildred Work, of Cincinnati, enabled the library’s board of directors to build an addition at the rear of the property. The spacious addition houses reference materials, early editions of classic novels, and the children’s library. Bookcases throughout the library have been donated by families to honor a person or in memory of a family member.
A collection of ceramic figures is housed in the Children’s Library. The figures represent different countries and cultures from around the world. The collection was donated in 1983 by Ellen Habermehl in memory of her mother, Betty Habermehl, who painted each figure.
This photograph shows members of the Knoedler family.
This grandfather clock, which dates to the early 1800s or late 1700s, was donated to the library in 1940 by Mrs. Norella Teegarden Brandenburg, who lived in Bradford.Â
