Webb Hunt Library

A Need for More Space

Continuing to Serve

Consolidation

Friends of Muncie Public Library

Sources

The brick Webb Hunt building has windows that line 2/3 of the building. It is right next to the street

A Need for More Space

Newspaper clipping portrait of Webb Hunt

Lincoln Elementary School needed the space used by Muncie Public Library as a library branch, so under the direction of former Library Director Leon Jones and the Board of Trustees, MPL purchased property on 12th Street (now more commonly known as Memorial Drive) owned by Mrs. Brone J. Bennington in 1955 at a cost of $13,950. Construction on the new library did not begin until 1959 and was completed that same year. Muncie Public Library’s Board decided to call the new library the Webb Hunt Branch, in recognition of the Lincoln School principal who had made such a large contribution to the development of the Lincoln Branch.

The school library branch had made a huge impact on the children in the neighborhood, so much so that one of its longtime patrons decided to help MPL with the move to the new branch. Tom Thornburg, a Ball State junior in 1960, had gone to the Lincoln School Library since his Kindergarten days. He belonged to the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, and knowing that his fraternity was always looking for service opportunities, he enlisted the help of 30 other members for the move. Thanks to their efforts, Webb Hunt Library was in operation three days later.

Webb Hunt, pictured right and whom the new branch was named for, passed away in 1956 before the new library opened (Muncie Evening Press, 01-14-1956, p. 1)

Three women and five men smile an pose for the camera. A man and a woman at the forefront hold shovels digging into the ground.

Muncie Public Library board members break ground on the new Webb Hunt Library on September 16, 1959. From left to right: Leon Scott, Wanita White, Garnet Higi, Richard Bronnenburg, Martin Schwartz, Ben Beckham, Edna Armintrout, and Leon Jones. (MPL Archives)

A plaque inset in a brick wall that designates the building as the Webb Hunt Branch, Muncie Public Library. Also lists the library trustees, librarian, architects, contractors, and erection date.

A plaque designating the library as the Webb Hunt Branch of the Muncie Public Library was placed on the facade of the building for the sake of simplicity (MPL Archives, ca. 1959, photograph by Ruth Chin).

Newspaper clipping of five young men who are carrying shelving from the bookmobile van into the new Webb Hunt Library.

Newspaper clipping of four young men wearing white fraternity hats helping branch librarian Ermal Johnson, left, box books at the Lincoln School Library.

Many hands make light work! The Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity helped library staff move furniture and books into the new Webb Hunt Library (Muncie Evening Press, 03-05-1960, p. 12).

Continuing to Serve

The interior of Webb Hunt Library consists of books in shelves lining the walls and scattered through, tables and furniture for people to sit, a checkout desk and workspace for the librarians. To the left is the front door and an American flag hangs near there on a pole.

The new library opened to the public on February 29, 1960, and it was dedicated on April 3, 1960, which was the beginning of National Library Week that year. Mrs. Ermal Johnson continued in her role as branch librarian from Lincoln Branch to the new Webb Hunt Branch. By the end of that year, Muncie Public Library’s annual report noted that “borrowers and browsers had increased tremendously at Hunt Branch since it opened and moved from Lincoln School” (“History of Webb Hunt,” p. 3), especially among adults.

Webb Hunt Library interior (MPL Archives, undated)

By 1985, the Webb Hunt Branch Library was ready to celebrate twenty-five years of service to the community in grand style, by having a party with cake and two special guests of honor, Mrs. Ermal Johnson, the library’s first branch librarian, and Robert Nelson, the library’s first custodian, who both coincidentally shared a birthday. The event also featured a photographic display of events held at Webb Hunt over the years.

Webb Hunt Library celebrated its twenty-fifth birthday with a party!

A crowd of people congregate in the Webb Hunt Branch Library amidst the tables and books to celebrate.

Consolidation

Newspaper clipping of Barb Cannaday's hands signing the Webb Hunt Memory book.

In 1997, a study of library space needs determined that a number of Muncie Public Library’s locations served the same area and were thus under-utilized. As a result, MPL administration decided to close the Maring and Hunt branches of Muncie Public Library and consolidate them into one library location, the future Maring-Hunt Library, which is still in operation today. Webb Hunt Library closed on February 22, 2002. In its final days, patrons had the opportunity to write their recollections of the library in a memory book. On the branch’s last day, the Star Press noted that the book had seventy-five signatures with forty handwritten notes detailing the best things people remembered and loved about Webb Hunt Library.

Barb Cannaday signs the Webb Hunt Library memory book. About the closing of the library, she said, "I'm sad it's closing. I can remember walking here when I was a girl" (Star Press, 02-22-2002, p. 2B). Another longtime customer stated, "It (Hunt) has been in my life since childhood and will remain in my 'heart' the rest of my life (Thanks for the Memories customer book, 2002).

Friends of Muncie Public Library

Although the Webb Hunt Branch Library no longer serves MPL as a circulating library, it is still a used building within the system. Now, it is a space for our Friends of Muncie Public Library, and they use it to store materials and hold a quarterly book sale to raise money on behalf of MPL. Last year, as part of the Muncie Public Art Plan, Nicole Ponsler painted a beautiful mural of birds and flowers on the building for the community to enjoy.

Two young girls, one older, one younger, smile and pose for the camera while each hold a book..

Two of our youngest patrons show off their recent purchase at the Friends of Muncie Public Library book sale (MPL Archives, 11-18-2022).

Artist Nicole Ponsler compares her drawn illustration with the mural in progress in the side of the Webb Hunt building.

California muralist Nicole Ponsler works on her painting at the old Webb Hunt Library, not the Friends of Muncie Public Library building (MPL Archives, 09-18-2023).

Do you have any favorite memories of the Webb Hunt Library? Please consider sharing them by clicking here.

Sources

“1960 Annual Report of the Muncie Public Library.” MPL Archives. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

Bump, Dorothea. “Fraternity Group Will Help Move Library.” (02-20-1960). Muncie Evening Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

“Fraternity Boys Help Lincoln Branch Library to Move to New Home.” (03-05-1960). Muncie Evening Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

"Friends Meet at Dedication." (04-04-1960). Muncie Evening Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

“History of Webb Hunt Branch Library.” MPL Archives. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

"Hunt Branch Library Dedicated." (04-04-1960). Muncie Star. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

“Library Board Votes Payment on New Site.” (12-28-1955). Muncie Evening Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

Mills, Pat. “Hunt Library Marks 25th Year with Cake, Party and Old Friends.” (04-18-1985). Muncie Evening Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

Minutes, Muncie Public Library Board: 1956-1960. MPL Archives. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

"Moving Into New Library." (02-28-1960). Muncie Star. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

MPL Archives. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

“MPL Takes a Closer Look.” (June 1997). MPLNow, vol. XXVIII, no. 6. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

"Open House Is Scheduled Tuesday at Public Library." (04-07-1985). Muncie Star. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

"Thanks for the Memories" customer book. (2002). MPL Archives. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

"Thursday Final Day for Lincoln Branch Library." (02-24-1960). Muncie Star. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

“Webb Hunt Is Dead at 80.” (01-14-1956). Muncie Evening Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

Young, Timothy W. "Library Arrives at Its Final Chapter Today." (02-22-2002). The Star Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

Young, Timothy W. "Neighbors Ready for New Library." (02-15-2002). The Star Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

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