Library Hall: Its Past, Present, and Future

The Friends of the West Fork Library, with the assistance of attorney Doug Gramling, obtained a Quiet Title to the First Christian Church building next to the library in West Fork, in a June 9, 2022, signing in the chamber of Judge Doug Martin. Pictured with the judge and Mr. Gramling are Patty Baker, who was president of Friends of the West Fork Library when the building was acquired, and current president Jane Bryant.  

The process to obtain the title was begun in 2013 when Ken Miller, the only remaining elder of the church, saw the building as a valuable piece of community history and offered it to the Friends of the West Fork Library (FOL) through a quitclaim deed.  An Arkansas quitclaim deed is a form that is used to transfer property from a seller to a purchaser without any warranty on the title. This type of deed transfers only the interest that the seller owns. The deed was necessary because the 1907 title for the church stated that, if the church were no longer used for religious purposes, the building would revert to surviving members of the Bell family who had donated the land.  

After eight years of maintaining the building, and as no member of the Bell family could be located, the FOL began the process of obtaining a quiet title, which would be granted by a judge. A quiet title suit is a special type of lawsuit that asks a court to determine the rights to real estate when a property might be in dispute. 

Brief History of the Church Building

It is not uncommon for historic church buildings to be sold to developers who tear them down or turn them into homes or restaurants, or different kinds of creative spaces. Friends of the Library (FOL) recognized the offer of the church building as a benefit to the community as a place for people to gather, and as an opportunity to preserve the link to the history of the West Fork and the surrounding area.

Years before the town of West Fork was officially established in 1885, as early as 1831, settlers organized a church in the valley and met under an elm tree. The members continued to meet out in the open until a structure could be built.  

Research hasn’t revealed much information about the church until James and Lucinda Bell deeded a West Fork lot located in Bells’ Addition to the deacons and elders of the Christian Church in West Fork in March 1907. The church would be located at the corner of Garfield and White.  This 1908 plat map shows that these streets still carry the same designations today, along with familiar family names and recognizable locations.  

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The church remained active through the years,  but membership in the 100-year-old church declined and the doors closed for good in 2013.    
 

Jane Bryant, current president of Friends of the West Fork Library, describes a bit of the history of the acquisition.  “After having lived on White Street for several months, I ventured over to the building where Wanda Miller was planting flowers in the front.  She gave me a tour of the lovely structure.  I realized that the membership was declining.”  Bryant went on to say, “As I was working the election later that year, Wanda mentioned she needed to talk to me.  I knew then that the building would become available.  I shared my vision of having the FOL own the building to extend the services of our local library.”  After the group voted to take the building, “we knew the time and financial sacrifices we were undertaking.” The building was sold to the FOL for $1.  

Restoration of Building for Library Hall 
Even though the building had been well cared for, turning the church into a versatile space for library and other community functions was no small task.  The task became, not to create something new, but to preserve and respect what was old. Several dedicated members of the group rolled up their sleeves to begin the work itself.  Volunteer hours over the years have numbered in the hundreds.  

Improvements have included a concrete ramp and metal rails at the front entrance and a new canvas awning that provides an eye-catching welcome.  The old front door was replaced with wide glass double doors that open out to meet fire codes and ADA compliance.  Lighted exit signs have been added. Along the way, a ramp in the hall from the main floor to the stage and kitchen area was built.  An ADA accessible restroom was added and the kitchen was updated with new appliances.  The balcony was boarded up, the old paneling was removed and new drywall was installed and painted.  The old windows were replaced.  Most recently, the wood floors have been refinished throughout.  

A FaceBook posting in 2015 solicited volunteers to begin the tasks of removing and hauling away the wood paneling and re-framing the windows.  The paneling was replaced with drywall, enabling the structure to comply with the existing fire code.  By this time, the new roof had been put on, the deck had been built, and the new doors. 

Fundraisers and Donations

The group launched fundraisers and used the money from community donations to carry out the renovation and repairs.  Gifts from Marion and Carolyn Crider, Metro Appliances, Arvest Bank, the City of West Fork, private donations and numerous fundraisers covered the costs of improvements.  Local architect Dave McKee donated his time and expertise toward designing the upgrades, donating and installing new windows, and helping with the subcontracting of professionals.  Other skilled artisans and community members helped refinish furniture, install baseboards, and do painting and other finish work.  Steve Golden installed the wonderful new restroom.  

Current Use and Future Plans
Over the past eight years, the building has hosted weddings and receptions, birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, and funeral dinners.  It has accommodated church services and home school dancers.  The Beaver Watershed Alliance and other organizations have held their meetings here.  The Ozark Shaped Note singers and Friday Night Follies have brought music and laughter into the building. Friends of the Library and others have used the building to host these and other guest speakers: Roy Reed, a University of Arkansas professor of journalism for 16 years and the foremost journalist covering the Civil Rights movement during the mid-1960s; Tom Cochran and Suzanne McCray, authors of Lights, Camera, Arkansas; Janet Carson, author of In the Garden; Arkansas Poet Laureate Suzanne Underwood Rhodes; Talya Tate Boerner, author of The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee. Tutoring, yoga, and a community women’s Bible study are some of the ongoing weekly activities. 

Fundraisers include the Benefit Sale, held annually in the spring or fall, the Chocolate Buffet, hosted on Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day, weekly book sales, the silent auction, held between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and Breakfast with Santa.  

According to Bryant, “I see us continuing to use Library Hall to encourage literacy and collaboration and to continue to build a sense of community.”