History of the Commerce Public Library Building
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History in the Making In July, 1917, ground was broken for the construction of a new U.S. Post Office in Commerce, built by the United States Department of Treasury for a cost of $45,000. The contractor selected for the building was Algernon Blair of Montgomery, Alabama. The building was to be ready for occupancy by March 2, 1918, but there was unfortunately a delay due to late deliveries of material caused by “emergency work.”1 Since the United States was at war at that time, it is presumed that the emergency work was related to the war. The actual date for the completion of the building was August 15, 1918, when it was declared ready for occupancy! A description of the building appeared in the August 1918 Commerce Journal Illustrated Industrial Edition: “The building was constructed with outside walls of red shale brick laid in a Flemish Bond pattern. The windows had jack arches and inlaid keystones. There were two large modified Palladian type windows, one on the north side and one on the south. Light-colored sandstone was used for trim. The roof terrace was enclosed with parapet walls and balustrade panels. The front portico was of modified Tuscan order with four large painted wood columns.” Transforming History On April 12, 1972 an Open House was held for a new Post Office Building in Commerce at 1300 Park Street. This new and modern $200,000 Post Office building had many advantages over the original Post Office, including 4,000 additional square feet of work space and “snorkel” boxes to make drive-in mailing more convenient. Off-street parking, an enlarged vestibule about three times the size of the original, and a worker’s lounge with a coffee machine and space for cold drink machines were additional improvements. Best of all, unlike the original building, the new post office had only one floor and no stairs to climb!2 For a short while the old post office building at 1210 Park Street stood empty, replaced by its more modern counterpart next door. The building had served Commerce as a post office from 1918 to 1971, and was ready for its next chapter! The City of Commerce made application for the building to use as a public library soon after the new post office opened. A Deed Without Warranty was awarded the City in March 1972, and the value of the building was set at $31,500. A public benefit allowance for the entire sum was granted because the building was to be used as a library.3 Renovation of the building was done by the City at a cost of $15,000. Care was taken during renovation to preserve special architectural features. No outside changes to the building were made and only those inside which were necessary to accommodate library functions. Even the black marble baseboards in the front lobby were retained when the mail boxes were removed.4 The library took occupancy of the old post office building on March 23, 1973. All spaces of the main floor, full basement, and partial second floor were converted to various library usages. In 1976 a small partially-enclosed loading dock on the east side of the building was completely enclosed and a space of 200 square feet was added to the library. Air conditioning was installed in a second room in the basement in 1987.5
The building, after having served as a post office for forty-five years, now serves as a public library for the citizens of Commerce and surrounding areas! Recognizing History: Commerce Public Library Historical Marker On November 17, 1991, in downtown Commerce, the building at 1210 Park Street, which has housed the Commerce Public Library since 1973, was commemorated in a special ceremony. A Texas Historical Marker plaque was unveiled at the entrance of the library, which was once the site of the Commerce Post Office. The marker reads: “Commerce Post office: The U.S. Treasury Department began construction of this building in July 1917, during the country’s involvement in World War I. Completed in August 1918 after a number of construction delays, it served as the city’s main post office facility until 1971. Deeded to the City the following year, it reopened as a public library in 1973. The Georgian Revival-style building features a central entry portico and an alternating parapet/balustrade along the roofline. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark – 1991.” The ceremony included brief remarks by Commerce City officials, members of the Public Library board and leaders of the Friends of the Library. Carol Taylor, chairman of the Hunt County Historical Commission, presided over the ceremony. City of Commerce Commission members at the time were Mr. J.H. Teel, Mayor, Mr. David Ayers, Mr. Charley Jones, Mr. Bob Monday, and Mr. Ivory Moore. Much of the research to apply for the marker was accomplished by Dorothy Wood Moore and Maude Johnson. Arthur West, a longtime Friends of the Library and library board member, performed the unveiling of the marker. West was Commerce Postmaster from 1960-1961 and President of the Library Board from 1964 to 1986. Eugene Wall, who was a Commerce post office employee from 1953 to 1978 and Commerce Postmaster from 1978 to 1988 also addressed the group with a short history of the local postal facility. Dr. John McQuary, President of the Library Board, was also present at the dedication of the marker. David Gibson, Minister of the Commerce Church of Christ, gave the invocation and Steven Goughnour, Minister of Commerce First Christian Church gave the benediction. This event reminds us of the importance of the building to the history of Commerce and to Texas. Originally constructed in 1918 as a post office, then renovated and reopened in 1973 as a public library, the building at 1210 Park Street is a long-lasting monument for our community. Restoring History: Portico Restoration The Commerce Public Library has inhabited the historical former post office building at 1210 Park Street in downtown Commerce since 1973. Before the library moved into the building, the city of Commerce allocated funds for modifications to make it suitable as a library, and additionally allocated money for furnishings. In June 1980, the City of Commerce passed Resolution No. 356, a working agreement between the City and the Friends of the Commerce Public Library to provide the building and insurance on the building, provide utilities and grounds maintenance, and maintain the roof, paint (inside and out), air conditioning equipment, hot water radiator system, hot water system (including the boiler), and water and sewer pipes. Between 1980 and 2011 little was done to maintain the exterior of the building. City resources fell short when the roof began to leak and the air conditioning equipment failed. In the summer of 2011, with 90 degree temperatures inside the building due to a failing air conditioning system, the Friends were told by the City that there were no funds to replace or repair it. In March 2012 the Friends began a campaign to “Save the Library!” The first action toward the goal was a work day held in April 2012. Volunteers who arrived that morning were university faculty, students from the Honors College at the university, and library board members. Efforts were focused on outside clean-up and the removal of plants encroaching on the building foundation and adversely affecting drainage. A rickety bench was removed and the bicycle rack and railing re-painted. Inside the building, cleanup continued and the preparation of the walls for painting was planned. Interestingly, the activity at the library caught the interest of a passer-by by the name of Mike Hudson. Mike stopped to investigate and became involved in the discussions about the renovation. Since he had considerable experience in historical restorations, his input was of special interest to the library board members present during the cleanup efforts. Mike was later to become very involved with the renovation, and was ultimately contracted by the Library Board to restore the portico. Evidence of his contribution is very visible in the transformation of the entrance to the building. His continued involvement has included renovation of the Story Time/meeting room, repair of the ceiling in the passport area, and fixing a persistent ceiling leak that defied explanation. Mike Hudson, a local contractor who just happened upon the library on a lucky day, was and continues to be a remarkably important figure in the restoration of the historic building. Following the work-day In May 2012, a series of Commerce Town Hall meetings were held to address the problem of the deteriorating building. The “Save the Library” campaign to restore the historical building resulted in the formation of a steering committee charged with raising money for the restoration. Before the committee could begin its work a major setback in the form of a 25% decrease in city funding left the Friends of the Commerce Public Library Board concerned about the future of the library. The steering committee was disbanded and renovations were put on hold, with the exception of funds from the First Methodist Church Foundation being used to replace the non-functioning air-conditioning. Approximately $7,000 remained in the renovation fund after the Town Hall meetings. In June 2013 the Friends decided to use the funds to restore the portico of the building. The portico was chosen since the roof was considered stable, and since it would have the greatest impact on the overall appearance of the building. The library contracted with Mike Hudson once again, and with his considerable experience in historical renovations Mike agreed to restore the portico. Mike undertook the painstaking and labor-intensive effort of stripping, scraping and sanding away decades of old paint in June 2013, then repaired and replaced decayed and damaged wood with new materials to match the original cypress woodwork. His work included the daunting restoration of the four classical Tuscan columns at the West Portico which form the main entrance to the Library that had stood since 1917, but were beginning to show consideration deterioration. The original columns were fabricated using a number of wood slats jointed with tongue and groove construction and glued to form a hollow drum. The glue joints were beginning to come apart, allowing moisture to penetrate the columns and contributing to further splitting and rotting. During the restoration, stabilization of the columns was accomplished and the beauty of the portico was restored. Mike's work was completed in mid-August 2013. Restoring History: Parapet Project The building's parapet is not just made up of spindles (balusters), but a combination of cypress wood trim, flashing, blocking, dentil molding, and brick sections making up the crown of the building, as well as the cornice work beneath the parapet. The parapet wall was selected as the next project following the 2013 restoration of the portico of the building due to visible deterioration in contrast to the restored portico. A secondary reason for the parapet restoration was a small but persistent leak that continued even after the city funded a roof replacement in 2014. To preserve the library building's designation as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, it was advisable that before the restoration project began it should be reviewed by the Texas Historical Commission. A proposal to restore and rehabilitate the existing historic parapet and cornice line was submitted to the Texas Historical Commission for review prior to work beginning, and in June 2017 the Commission review staff sent a letter of approval for the project, stating: “The Staff commends the Commerce Public Library on gathering together the historic documentation and a qualified project professional to ensure the accuracy of the restoration and rehabilitation effort. The staff would like to acknowledge that much of the existing carpentry may be repaired and preserved in place rather than replaced. After scraping the existing failing paint, wood epoxy/consolidate should be applied to strengthen those salvageable carpentry elements before sanding and repainting. All fully deteriorated wood can be removed and replaced with in-kind matching material. The project meets the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Restoration. The staff hereby confirms that…work may proceed without further consultation with our office.” With this approval, on Monday, July 1st, Mike Hudson began work on the parapet restoration project with the removal of the spindles. He evaluated each spindle for soundness and restored those that were salvageable. One hundred and three new cypress wood spindles, duplicates of one of the originals, were ordered to replace those too deteriorated to be restored. Mike then selectively disassembled a section of parapet, removing damaged or deteriorated elements like the cap flashing (the metal on top of the wall) and rotted moldings. Whatever remained was stripped to remove lead paint. Next, new matching materials were installed to replace the damaged elements removed earlier, including new moldings, flashings and, of course, the spindles, both new and restored. When everything was back in position, all the components were painted and caulked to finish the job. New spindles for the parapet restoration project were donated by individuals and organizations in and around Commerce. Click here for a complete list of spindle donors. While not part of the parapet, the Palladian windows, one on the south and another on the north side of the building, are among the most beautiful features of the historical structure. Rescuing them from further deterioration was the logical next step in the exterior restoration. Progress toward the complete restoration of the windows happened in an unexpected way. A local artist, David Zvanut, MFA, was creating a large fused-glass art piece to install inside the window on the south side of the building. Interior lighting makes it viewable from both inside and outside at all times. The window depicts a Bois d’ Arc tree in autumn, a subject appropriate for the city recognized as the Bois d’ arc Capitol of Texas and home of the annual Bois d’ arc Bash. The Hunt County Public Art group funded the art and covered the cost of the restoration of the window before the installation of the art work. A New Chapter: Interior Renovations With the exterior of the library renewed and the leaks fixed, the Friends and City could finally begin work on the library's interior. In 2023 a group of hardworking volunteers moved all of the books and shelves into the basement to allow new flooring, new paint, and a new entrance at the rear of the library to be constructed. During this renovation a drop ceiling which had been installed in the lobby was removed, revealing windows that had previously been covered for years. New lighting, wood restoration, and fresh paint brought the new lobby of the Commerce Public Library to life, creating the beautiful high-ceiling space visitors see today! The new entrance at the rear of the library included an accessibility ramp, and just inside its doors a modern public restroom was also constructed. What will the future bring? The Commerce Public Library building is today a Historic Texas Landmark and a modern, digital-age library, offering free books and media to residents of Commerce and all within a 60-mile radius. With free WiFi, daily programs for children and adults, publicly-accessible PCs with fast internet connections, digital content from multiple services, a maker room with 3D printing and fabrication tools, a local history archive, educational classes, and even a passport application facility, the building and the Commerce Public Library have come a long way since Algernon Blair broke ground in 1917. What will the future of the Commerce Public Library look like? Join today and find out along with us! Footnotes:
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