Ahj Regional Library

Description

The Allendale - Hampton - Jasper Regional Library is the result of a successful Works Progress Administration library project. During the W.P.A. era, there were three very small libraries in this three-county area of the state--Estill (Book Club), Fairfax and Allendale. The Allendale Library had been organized in 1905, long before the county was established. The Hampton Library was not organized until 1936 under the W.P.A. In March, 1941, Allendale, Hampton, and Barnwell Counties formed the first multi-county regional library system in South Carolina. The W.P.A. helped with salaries, books, operating expenses and equipment. With W.P.A. funds, a bookmobile was purchased to serve the rural areas of the three counties in the region. In March, 1942, the W.P.A. Project was discontinued and the library was on its own. Barnwell County withdrew from the Region in May 1942, but Allendale and Hampton Counties continued to struggle to keep the library in operation. A small appropriation was secured from both counties but it was so small that the work of the library was carried on by people so interested that they were willing to give their services. The chairman of the regional library board, Mrs. James M. Patterson, simply refused to let the regional library die. In October 1947, Jasper County was invited to join the Regional Library to form the three-county Allendale - Hampton - Jasper Regional Library system. ...

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