Walton-DeFuniak Library facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Walton-DeFuniak Library
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Walton-DeFuniak Library, 2008
Location	DeFuniak Springs, Florida
Built	1887
Part of	DeFuniak Springs Historic District (ID92001048)

The Walton-DeFuniak Library is a really old and important library. You can find it at 3 Circle Drive in DeFuniak Springs, which is in Walton County, Florida in the United States. It first opened its doors in 1887. This makes it the oldest library in Florida that has been open continuously since it started!

The library is also a special part of the DeFuniak Springs Historic District. This means it's recognized as a building that helps tell the story of the area's past. In 1989, it was even featured in a book called A Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture. Today, the Walton-DeFuniak Library has more than 25,000 books and other items for people to read and learn from.

History of the Library

The idea for the Walton-DeFuniak Library started after a special event called a Chautauqua session. People in DeFuniak Springs realized they needed books and resources to help with learning. A group of local women decided to do something about it.

Building the First Library

In 1886 and 1887, these amazing women worked hard to raise money. They collected $580, which was a lot of money back then! They used this money to build the library. They also got some land next to Lake DeFuniak for a very small rent of 25 cents a year.

The women who played a big part in creating the library were part of a group called the Ladies' Aide Society. Later, they changed their name to the Ladies' Library Association. They kept raising money for new books. They also kept the library open themselves until 1902. That's when they hired an official librarian.

Early Librarians and Name Change

The first paid librarian was Alice Fellows. She worked at the Walton-DeFuniak Library from 1896 to 1926. The library officially opened by the end of 1887. For many years, it was known by a different name. In 1975, its name was changed to the Walton-DeFuniak Library.

In 1984, a new section was added to the back of the building. This new part was designed to look just like the original building. This helped keep the library's historic look.

The Carnegie Grant Offer

The Walton-DeFuniak Library was one of only two libraries in Florida that were offered a special grant from Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie was a very rich businessman who helped build many libraries across the country. The grant was for $10,000, which was a huge amount of money at the time!

However, the library had to turn down the offer. Alice Fellows explained why in a newspaper article. She said that in 1910, and again six years later, the city needed other important improvements more. To get a Carnegie grant, the city also had to promise to provide extra money to keep the new library running. The city decided to focus on other needs first.

Who Was De Funiak?

The library, and even the village of DeFuniak Springs itself, were named after Captain Frederick R. De Funiak. He was honored in 1882 when the village was named after him.

Special Weapons Collection

The library is also home to a very interesting collection of old weapons and armor. These items originally belonged to Professor Kenneth Bruce from Palmer College. When he passed away, he left his collection to the college.

How the Collection Came to the Library

When Palmer College closed down in the 1930s, the city of DeFuniak Springs received the collection. Later, the city decided to give these historical items to the library.

Many of the weapons in the collection are from Europe. Some are even from the time of the Crusades, which were wars fought a very long time ago. There are also weapons from the Orient (which means Eastern countries). You can even see Kentucky muskets from the 1700s! It's like a mini-museum inside the library.

See also

In Spanish: Biblioteca Walton-DeFuniak para niños