Lily Lawrence Bow Library facts for kids
The Lily Lawrence Bow Library is a special old library in Homestead, Florida. It's located at 212 Northwest 1st Avenue. This building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on August 5, 1996. It was named after Lily Lawrence Bow, who was Homestead's very first librarian.
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Meet Lily Lawrence Bow: Homestead's First Librarian
Lily Lawrence Bow was born in 1870. She was a well-educated woman who loved being outdoors. She was married to Richard Bow. They were originally from Chicago.
A New Life in Florida
In 1904, Lily convinced her husband to move to Cudjoe Key, Florida. They heard they could make a living growing limes and cotton there. They brought their two sons, aged 14 and 4, to start a new life. They bought 207 acres of land.
Cudjoe Key was very quiet and far away back then. The closest town was Key West, about 20 miles by sailboat. Only a few families lived there, making charcoal to survive. The railroad had not been built yet.
Life on Cudjoe Key
Richard Bow did not stay long in this new farming life. Just a few months after arriving, he left his family. Before he left, he gave the property title to Lily.
To survive, Lily planted melons, pineapples, yams, tomatoes, and limes. Her sons helped by fishing and hunting deer. Since Lily was college-educated, she taught her sons. She also taught children from a nearby family. That family paid her with food like meat and vegetables. Surprisingly, Lily even had an upright piano in her small cabin!
Moving to Homestead
In 1906, the Florida Eastcoast Railway started surveying the area. An engineer named William Krome became friends with Lily. He strongly advised her to leave Cudjoe Key. Many railroad workers would be arriving soon, and he worried about her family's safety.
At first, Lily did not want to leave. But she changed her mind after Krome gave her 16-year-old son a job with the railroad. Lily and her family left Cudjoe in October 1906. This was just days before a hurricane hit, killing over one hundred railroad workers.
In Miami, Lily worked as a music teacher. However, she preferred the outdoor life she had on Cudjoe Key. So, she applied for a homestead grant in Homestead, Florida. There, she built a cabin at 2nd Avenue and Avocado Drive. Lily sold citrus fruits and raised chickens. She also wrote two poetry books: Pioneering with Pegasus and Cloth of Gold. Lily Lawrence Bow passed away in 1943.
The Lily Lawrence Bow Library Building
In 1920, the Women's Club of Homestead asked Lily Bow to lead their library committee. This committee soon became a public library for everyone. Lily became Homestead's very first librarian. The city did not have a job title for a librarian. So, Lily was officially appointed as a policeman instead!
Books were donated from Dade County. Lily also gave books to local schools. The library grew too big for the Women's Club. It then moved to a city-owned location.
Building the New Library
In 1937, a local architect named Clarence J. Parman drew plans for the library's current building. The project was approved a year later by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The WPA was a federal program started by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was part of his New Deal plan during the Great Depression. The WPA helped create jobs and build many things, including libraries.
The new library building was made from local oolitic rock. It also used hand-cut Dade County pine timbers. Construction was finished in 1939.
Naming the Library
In 1939, the City Council decided to name the building the Lily Lawrence Bow Library. They wanted to honor Homestead's first librarian. She was also a talented musician, artist, published poet, and even a member of the local police force!
At the dedication ceremony, Senator Claude Pepper spoke. He said the building showed the great pride of Homestead's citizens. He felt it reflected their desire for better things in life.
See also
In Spanish: Biblioteca Lily Lawrence Bow para niños
