Roswell Library Reopens After Renovation

ROSWELL, GA — Since construction began in August 2018, Roswell residents have eagerly awaited the reopening of the Roswell Library. And with the new year comes a newly refreshed library as it opened Jan. 3.

In 2018, the Fulton County Commission approved changes to the ongoing renovations at the library. Commissioners approved an option that would replace the building's main roof along Norcross Street and raise its height to accommodate a new vestibule and entry doors that would be constructed on that side.

"Roswell community leaders have made clear that they believe renovations to their library, which rests in the historic district, could transform the building into a welcoming community center and enhance the entire downtown area," Fulton County District 1 Commissioner Liz Hausmann said in 2018. "I'm pleased the Fulton County Commission seized this opportunity to work with municipal leaders to ensure the library reaches its full potential in serving the community for many years to come."

County commissioners approved a design option for the facility that was developed after consultation with the Roswell Historic Preservation Committee. The work involved in the project included adding a concrete sidewalk from Norcross Street to the building, creating a porch seating area on each side of the entrance, new landscaping, as well as modification and engineering of HVAC, electrical, and fire safety systems.

"The library building program is giving communities an opportunity to rethink the possibilities for facilities that are not just libraries, but important parts of their communities," Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts said in 2018. "This vote proves we will consider the needs and desires of each of the communities served by our neighborhood libraries."

The Roswell Library was closed since August 2018 for the renovations, which officials initially anticipated taking three to nine months.

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System detailed the history of the location:

The Roswell Library had its beginning in 1946 when a group of dedicated volunteers made weekly trips to the Carnegie Library of Atlanta to pick up books. A room had been set aside for a library in what was then The Roswell Elementary School on Mimosa Boulevard (torn down in 1949). The books were moved to temporary space in City Hall, now the Roswell Visitors Center, until a permanent home for a collection could be found.

In 1955, Arthur W. Smith, grandson of one of the Roswell founders, formed a citizen’s committee that purchased one of the historic “Bricks” apartments on Sloan Street for the library and the collection was moved there. This became known as the Carnegie Library Deposit at Roswell — “deposit” because books were still being borrowed from the main Atlanta Library and transported back and forth by volunteers.

Shortly after her husband’s death in 1960, Mrs. Arthur W. Smith, seeing a need to expand the library, renovated the 100-year-old cotton warehouse from the Smith Plantation (now the “Roswell Historic Cottage, an Events Facility”), and donated it to Fulton County for use as the Arthur William Smith Memorial Library. In 1965, it became a full-fledged library branch with its own budget and its own collection of books.

As the city of Roswell continued to grow and the library building began to deteriorate, a new location was desperately needed. In 1981, The Smith Memorial Library was moved to rented space in the Roswell Mall and was renamed the Roswell Public Library.

In 1983, the State of Georgia transferred the responsibility of the library system from the City of Atlanta to Fulton County forming the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System (AFPLS) of which Roswell was a branch. Fulton County held a successful bond referendum in 1985 for building new libraries and, in April, 1988, on City Complex land that had been Smith property, construction for the new library began. On July 17th, 1989, the present library began circulating books and materials.