Cnetral Library

Winston-Salem has had three central libraries:

• • Carnegie Library. You need to be one of the Greatest or Silent Generations to remember this one.

  • Winston-Salem Central Library. The one we Baby Boomers remember. I spent a lot of time here. It had its faults, but it felt like a library.

  • Forsyth County Central Library. The one everyone since Generation X is familiar with.

Carnegie Library

Winston-Salem's original public library was made possible by a grant from Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish-American steel magnate turned philanthropist who funded 1,689 libraries across the US. The town of Winston received funding in 1903.  

The library was built in 1904–1905 in the Classical Revival style, designed by architect Edward L. Tilton,a prominent designer of Carnegie libraries nationwide. The new library opened February 14, 1906 at the corner of Third and Cherry streets, making it the first established library in what would become one of the Twin Cities. 

The library reached well beyond its walls; librarians traveled the community with a bookmobile (one of the earliest in North Carolina) to bring books to the people. During World Wars I & II they collected books for soldiers, delivered books to patients in hospitals, and hosted programs on food conservation. From the beginning the new library was inadequate for the needs of community, and, by the 1920s, it was becoming overwhelmed. 

The population of Winston was undergoing explosive growth during the early 1900s. In 1900, Winston had a population of about 13,000. Then, in 1913 Winston merged with Salem to form the twin cities of Winston-Salem. By 1920, the population had surged to over 47,000. Over the next few decades, several library bond issues were offered, but all were defeated at the polls. In the late 1940s, Meade Willis, a Wachovia Bank executive, stepped down from his role as library board director, giving way to the new library director, Paul Ballance. They, along with Ralph Hanes, the founder of Hanes Dye & Finishing, joined forces and started pressing their wealthy friends for a new library. 

After the new Central Library opened in 1953, the small Carnegie building was sold to the Catholic church; it became Our Lady of Fatima Chapel in 1954, a role it still holds today. The chapel has hosted some notable guests over the years, including Princess Grace of Monaco, Rose Kennedy, and Lou Holtz (then Notre Dame's football coach).

Structurally, the old library's bones are still visible:

• • The library's former main room is now the chapel's sanctuary.

  • The double doors open onto what was a horseshoe-shaped circulation desk that stood near where the middle row of pews is now.

  • The Children's Room once occupied the area with the arched window. 

Of the nine North Carolina towns that built Carnegie libraries, Winston-Salem's building is one of five that still stand today, though none is still used as a library — the others being in Durham, Hendersonville, Hickory, and Murphy

Winston-Salem Central Library

As a result of the efforts of Willis, Balance, and Hanes, the new Winston-Salem Public Library was completed in January, 1953 at 600 W 5th St and was dedicated in March. All the land and all construction costs were paid for by donations, no public money was used. When it opened it marked Forsyth County’s first major purpose‑built central library. 

The building was designed by local architect Luther Lashmit and it quickly attracted national attention. Later that year, Lashmit was invited by the American Library Association to speak at their national convention in Chicago on “How to design a modern library.”

Features

The library had a distinctive layout. Some of its key features were:

Circulation Desk

The circulation desk stood on the first floor, near the West Fifth Street entrance.  As book circulation became a little bit automated, a large machine sat on this desk for checking out books, attended by a staff member. The bright, spacious Children’s Room was behind the wall of glass behind the desk.

Card Catalog

A large paper card catalog filled an entire wall of the building. Paper card catalogs required constant maintenance by the library staff

Reading Area

The building had a large well-lighted reading area.

Audio Equipment

The building had a popular record collection along with specialized tables equipped with  turntables for vinyl record listening — a forward‑thinking feature at the time. They were especially popular in the children’s department. 

Auditorium.

A ground-floor hallway leading to an auditorium with movable chairs, which doubled as an art gallery for changing exhibits. 

Forsyth County Central Library

Funded by a $28 million bond, the library underwent a complete transformation during 2015-2017. It opened in 2017 as a light‑filled, community‑centered space.

The entire 1953 building was demolished, while the 1980 addition was stripped down and folded into the new construction. The result is the striking, geometric building people notice walking through downtown today. 

Some Key Features

The Library Book. A sculpture of an open book with the pages depicting the word "Library" in many different languages located on the front lawn. 

Waterfall. A large digital installation that greets visitors inside the front door, Its lower screen cycles through historical photos of Central and other Forsyth County library branches, while the upper screens show falling water along with sound effects.

Circulation Desk. The entrance main circulation desk.

Auditorium. A 290‑seat multi-use auditorium. A 290‑seat multi-use auditorium.

Cafe. A first-floor cafe near the main entrance outside of the auditorium that serves drinks and snacks.

Reading Area. In the reading area, book cases are low in the center of the building to maximize light and views.  Tables also have electrical outlets, plus lights for evenings and cloudy days.

Catalog System, A digitized catalog system that can be accessed at individual access stations. Patrons can also place holds on books and check-out books from the stations.

Meeting Rooms. Multiple meeting rooms (from 4‑person rooms to larger conference spaces).

Sound‑Production. A sound‑production studio.

Kitchen. A demonstration kitchen.

Computer Lab. A computer teaching lab.

Children’s Room. An expanded children’s room with private meeting spaces for families and social workers.

Audio Space. A special section devoted to audio books and another section for CDs/DVDs,

Art Gallery. The old art-gallery hallway tradition lives on as floating art panels on the second floor near the elevators.

Outdoor seating. A place to read outside on a nice day.