History of the Commerce Public Library Building
History in the Making
In July, 1917, ground was broken for the construction of a new U.S. Post Office in Commerce. It was built by the United States Department of Treasury for a cost of $45,000. The contractor for the building was Algernon Blair of Montgomery, Alabama. The building was to be ready for occupancy by March 2, 1918. There was a bit of a delay with that date because of late deliveries of material caused by “emergency work.” (Letter from Algernon Blair, Contractor) Since the United States was at war at that time, it can be supposed 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 April12, 1972 there was an Open House 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 old one. There were 4,000 additional square feet of work space, and “snorkel” boxes made drive-in mailing convenient. Off-street parking, an enlarged vestibule about three times the size of the old one, a worker’s lounge with a coffee machine and space for cold drink machines were major improvements. Best of all, unlike the old building, the new post office had only one floor, with no stairs to climb. (Commerce Journal, December 2, 1971)
Meanwhile, the old post office building at 1210 Park Street stood empty, replaced by its more modern counterpart. The building had served Commerce as a post office from 1918 to 1971, when plans were announced that the building would be abandoned as a post office. The City of Commerce made application for the building to use as a public library. A Deed Without Warranty was awarded the City in March 1972. The value of the building at the time was set at $31,500 but a public benefit allowance for the entire sum was granted because the building was to be used as a library. (Texas Almanac, 1984-85; Hunt County, Texas, Deed Without Warranty recorded in County Clerk’s Office)
The Library moved into the 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 useable space for the library. Air conditioning was installed in a second room in the basement in 1987. (Letter from Roy W. Washam to Ms. Opal Williams, October 7, 1975; minutes of Commerce Public Library, February 3, 1987)
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. Arthur West was Commerce Postmaster from 1960-1961 and was 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 present at the dedication of the marker. David Gibson, Minister of the Church of Christ, Commerce gave the invocation and Steven Goughnour, Minister of First Christian Church, Commerce, gave the benediction.
This event reminds us of the importance of the building to the history of Commerce. The group that worked to obtain the historical marker did their part to recognize the importance of this historical building constructed between 1917 and 1918.
Restoring History: Portico Restoration
Since that time, little was done to maintain the exterior of the building and 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 because of 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 students from the Honors College at the university as well as university faculty 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.
The activity at the Library caught the interest of a passer-by. He 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 that day. He was later to become very involved with the renovation when he was 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 finally fixing a persistent ceiling leak that defied explanation. Mike Hudson, local contractor, will continue to be a key player in the coming parapet restoration project. It is hoped that he will begin the parapet restoration within the next few weeks.
Following the work-day In May of 2012, a series of 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 began work, a major setback in the form of a 25% decrease in city funding left the Friends of the Commerce Public Library Board wondering about the future of the library. The committee was disbanded and the renovation was put on hold with the exception of funds from the First Methodist Church Foundation which were 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, with his considerable experience in historical renovations, to restore the portico. Mike undertook the painstaking and labor-intensive effort of stripping, scraping and sanding away decades of old paint in late June. He 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. These wood columns have served since 1917 but were beginning to show consideration deterioration. The 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. The work was completed in mid-August, 2013.
Restoring History: Parapet Project
The parapet wall was selected as the next project to be tackled after the 2013 restoration of the portico of the building. One reason for the choice was because of its very visible deterioration in contrast to the beautiful portico. Another reason, not so noticeable, was because of the continuing small but persistent leaking into the building even after the city-funded roof replacement in 2014. A contractor, while repairing ceiling damage in part of the building, found leaking related to the parapet wall. That leak was repaired but others are likely to be found. It is important that the interior of the building be leak-free before the much-needed repair and renovation inside begins. As the wall is restored, the integrity of the roof will be ensured.
The Library building is a Recorded Texas historic Landmark designated by the Texas Historical Commission in 1991. To preserve that designation, it is advisable that before a project is begun, it be reviewed by the Commission. A proposal to restore and rehabilitate the existing historic parapet and cornice line was sent for review. In late June, 2017, the Commission review staff sent a letter of approval for the project stating that “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 offsite. One hundred and three new cypress wood spindles, duplicates of one of the originals, were ordered to replace those too deteriorated to be restored.
Onsite he 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 all old 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.
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.
Alphabetical list of Spindle Donors:
- Bill Abernathy in memory of Mr. and Mrs. D.C. Abernathy, Jr.
- Debbie Aikin - Donation toward spindle in honor of Harriet and Wyman Williams’ 50th Anniversary
- Altrusa International Club of Greenville in honor of Literacy
- Dennis and Judy Anderson - Donation toward spindle in honor of Harriet and Wyman Williams’ 50th Anniversary
- Earl & Susan Andresen
- Anonymous – two donors requested to be anonymous
- Jim & Teena Ayres, Commerce Funeral Home and Cremation
- Andrew & Shannon Baker
- Mr. and Mrs. David S. Barera in honor of The Barera Family
- David & Monika Barera in honor of son Michael Barera
- Michael Barera in honor of Frank von Neuhaus
- Kaye Beth – 4 spindles in memory of Dr. H.P. Credille, Willie Reno Credille, Bessie M. Credille, Alice Hamilton Credille
- Fred & Anna Blohm
- Carolyn Burt – Donation toward DAR spindle
- Captain Charles Croxall Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Texas DAR (Individual donors listed separately)
- Nelda Carter – Donation toward DAR spindle
- Betsy Chapman – in memory of Linnie Atchley by her niece, Betsy Robinson Chapman
- Mike & Nan Clay
- Colonial Lodge of Greenville
- Commerce Lion’s Club – three spindles
- Jane Cox – in memory of Joe Fred Cox and in honor of Karen Jo Cox
- Jerry Davies
- Jerry & Vicki Davis – in honor of Jerry, Vicki, Jay Davis
- Vicki Davis - Donation toward DAR spindle
- Delphian Club
- Scott & Diane Downing
- Dough Rollins Sunday School Class, First United Methodist Church - Donation
- Wendell & Linda Edwards – Donation
- Lindsey Ewert in memory of Mary Elizabeth Channon
- Jennifer Garrett
- Bob & Sally Grove – 2 spindles + additional donations
- Rebecca Hair – Donation toward DAR spindle
- Jenny Hanby in memory of F.H. (Bub) McDowell
- John and Mary Hardy - Donation toward spindle in honor of Harriet and Wyman Williams’ 50th Anniversary
- Jeff Helton in honor of his wife, Jan, for Mother’s Day 2017
- Kent & Jency Holbert
- William & Dorothy Hopkins
- Steve and Mary Humphrey – Donation in memory of Gayle Shumate
- Rheba Icenhower
- Dolores Jackson – Donation toward DAR spindle
- Paul & Norma Johnson
- Rohith Kumar Kadari in honor of Rick Miller
- Jerry & Theta Keeble
- Michael G. Kelley – 11 spindles in honor of Margret Guthrie Kelley, W.L. “Woody” Kelly, Time Kelley, Pat Kelley, Donna Kelley, Regan Kelley, Jason Keyes, Chris Kelley, Matt Kelley, and Jennifer Nunez
- Barbara Kersey in memory of Frances A. Thompson
- Loretta Kibler in honor of Dr. Marc McDaniel
- Ravelle Rainey Kundinger in honor of the Rainey Family
- Susan Lampe
- Susan Lampe - Donation toward spindle in honor of Harriet and Wyman Williams’ 50th Anniversary
- Jim Bob and Janet Latham - Donation toward spindle in honor of Harriet and Wyman Williams’ 50th Anniversary
- Dick & Brenda Latson in honor of the Latson Family
- Gene & Carolyn Lockhart
- Joyce McCord in memory of Kenneth McCord
- Diane McDowell
- Keith & Nancy McFarland
- Richard & Mary Miller
- Joe and Laura Milligan - Donation toward spindle in honor of Harriet and Wyman Williams’ 50th Anniversary
- Anne Mills – Donation toward spindle in honor of Harriet and Wyman Williams’ 50th Anniversary
- Billie Mills
- Bob & Norma Monday
- Billy and Danna Myers - Donation toward spindle in honor of Harriet and Wyman Williams’ 50th Anniversary
- Noah and Diana Nelson - Donation toward spindle in honor of Harriet and Wyman Williams’ 50th Anniversary
- Dr. & Mrs. Srinivas Nippani - Donation
- Michael & Donna Odom
- Ilter Ozul
- Jim and Susan Patton
- Jim and Susan Patton - Donation toward spindle in honor of Harriet and Wyman Williams’ 50th Anniversary
- Jack & Beverly Pirkey - 1 section (6) spindles
- Jerry & Susan Pittman in memory of Gayle Shumate
- Lonnie Plunkett in memory of Ethel and Jesse Stout
- Bill & Sharon Prewett
- Lee Riddle in memory of James R. Riddle
- Michael & Angela Roberts
- Mark & Frances Sartwell
- Rick & Tina Fletcher Selvaggi in honor of Lily and Rose
- Shell Oil Company Foundation – matching gift for C.H. Siebenhausen, Jr.
- C.H. Siebenhausen, Jr. – two spindles
- G.D. (Pat) Skauge
- Janet Williams Skauge
- John & Linnea Smith
- John and Linnea Smith
- Chad & Teresa Smith
- Chad & Teresa Smith in honor of Eddie, Lynn, Allison and Nick Barker
- Chad & Teresa Smith in honor Derych, Ruth, Makiah and Rose Gorman
- Shirley Smith – Donation toward DAR spindle
- Madeline Sullivan - donation
- Jim Swart - Donation toward spindle in honor of Harriet and Wyman Williams’ 50th Anniversary
- Annette Taggart - Donation toward spindle in honor of Harriet and Wyman Williams’ 50th Anniversary
- Gary & Becky Thompson
- Carolyn Trezevant
- Carolyn Trezevant in honor of David and Luann Huffman
- Carolyn Trezevant in honor of Judy Grau and Shadow
- Robert W. Trezevant in honor of his sister, Carolyn Trezevant
- Dixie Turman
- Harry & Dora Wade
- Tingxiu Wang, Liping Cai
- Wyman & Harriet Williams
- Wyman & Harriet Williams in memory of Linnie Atchley
- Lauri Wiss - donation
- Bobby & Neva Young
- Paul & Sheryl Zelhart
- Bettina & David Zvanut - donation
- State Farm
- Delphian Club
- Diana Hines and group
- Texas Historical Foundation
- Lion's Club
- Summerlee Foundation
- Hunt County Public Art
- Texas Historical Foundation
- Psychology Club
Heartfelt Thanks to all of the above!