Library Rededication Is Memorial Day Highlight

By NANCY DANIEL VEST

June 9, 2014

The spirit of cooperation filled the streets of Cape Charles on Memorial Day. The American Legion, the Town of Cape Charles, the Library Board, the Friends of the Cape Charles Memorial Library, and the Cape Charles Band worked together to create a beautiful service to honor those who serve their country and to remember those who have given all.

The American Legion began the day at the War Memorial with a solemn and reflective remembrance. The crowd stood in respectful silence to show appreciation for all who lost their lives fighting for freedom and those who still unselfishly serve their country. Attention then turned across the street and went from solemnity to celebration with the rededication of the Cape Charles Memorial Library.

The music of the Cape Charles Band filled the air and heightened the spirit of gratitude and patriotism. Senator Lynwood Lewis offered his respect for American soldiers and veterans and spoke of the opportunities the new library facility offers to the citizens of Lower Northampton County.

The Cape Charles Memorial Library has an interesting history. In June of 1919, 32 women gathered to take the first steps in their quest to create a library for the Town. Each woman brought a book to donate to the cause. The small collection grew slowly and was housed in private homes, a department store, and a bank before it found its first true home in the vacated Presbyterian Church building on Tazewell Avenue. On May 27, 1927, that building became the first Memorial Library in Virginia. Governor Harry F. Byrd formally dedicated the Cape Charles Memorial Library to the 21 men from Northampton County who perished in World War I.

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By 2012, the growth of the library collection and changes in technology necessitated the need for a new facility. The former Bank of America building and adjacent lots were purchased by the Town of Cape Charles, and with the help of volunteers, the building was transformed.

The formal rededication of the new facility took place on Memorial Day. With a gigantic pair of scissors, Mayor Dora Sullivan and Librarian Ann Rutledge cut the ribbon, opening a new chapter in the history of the Library. A symbolic procession of women, carrying 32 books, reminded those gathered that no matter how big the obstacles, with untiring determination, dreams can come true. This new building is their enduring legacy.

Immediately following the rededication ceremony, the celebration continued with tours of the new Library building. The Friends of the Cape Charles Memorial Library provided a variety of refreshments. Everyone was invited to reconnect with old friends and enjoy the spirit of community cooperation.