Lexington Public Library History

The Lexington Public Library opened a Carnegie library in 1905. It incorporated the collections of the former subscription Lexington Library Company (est.1801) and the former Transylvania Library (est.1795). The library became a free library in 1899, shortly before moving locations. When the city outgrew the Carnegie building, the Central Library was built and it opened in 1989.

The system contains six branch locations. The largest is the Central Library, located on E. Main St. The Beaumont Branch, located on Fieldstone Way just off Harrodsburg Rd., replaced the Southside Branch in 1997. The Tates Creek Branch, located on Walden Drive, replaced the Lansdowne Branch in 2001. The Village Branch, located on Versailles Rd. at Village Dr., opened in 2004, and is an English-Spanish bilingual branch, with bilingual staff. The Northside Branch, located on Russell Cave Rd., replaced the previous Northside location in 2008. The Eastside Branch, located on Blake James Dr., replaced the Eagle Creek Branch in 2016.

The contents of the library's digital collection contain some images and brochures at various points in library history. The typed library history by Mary K. Bullitt was a part of the library's cornerstone collection, which was buried in 1902, during the construction of the Carnegie building. It was opened in 1989 when the library moved locations. The other images depict the construction of the Central Library from 1987-1989.

Title Page of The Lexington Library by Mary K. Bullitt

Other Archive Collections:

Lexington and Fayette County Government Documents
The collection contains city and county documents for Fayette County.
Diaries of Etta Evans Gilmore (1885 - 1959)
The Gilmore Diary Collection contains 11 Bath County diaries from 1944-1955
Johnston Young WWII Letter Collection
The Young WWII letter collection contains 68 letters from 1944-1945.
Bath County Memorial Library Collection
The Bath County collection contains two handwritten local collections, dating from the 1940-1950 time period.
Fayette County Buildings & Architecture
Lexington architecture reflect local history
Lexington Businesses & Clubs
Lexington organization and community directories contain information for local residents.
Fayette County Churches
Church information includes directories, records, and informational brochures
Fayette County Schools & Yearbooks
The collection contains yearbooks, class pictures, and graduation leaflets.
St. Paul Catholic Church Ledger Collection
As a church over 150 years old, the records for St. Paul Catholic Church go back to 1854.
Morton School
The Morton School was the city’s first public school in 1834, and was later a high school, then junior high, and today is a middle school.
Old Kentucky Architecture
The book contains photos and architectural plans from several dozen historic Kentucky buildings.
Knights of Columbus, John A. Mueller Bluegrass Council 762
Bluegrass Chapter 762 of the Knights of Columbus was chartered in 1903.
St. Paul Catholic Church Collection
The collection contains materials from the church's archive.
Around the Town in Lexington, Kentucky
"Around the Town in Lexington, Kentucky" is a short travel pamphlet highlighting local attractions and schedules of events in Lexington, Kentucky.
The Blythe Scrapbook
Loose scrapbook pages show images of African American families and clubs in the 1930s and 1940s in Lexington.
David's Fork Baptist Church
The pamphlet provides a brief history of the church and bylaws.
Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill
Books and pamphlets give history and images of the Shaker community of Pleasant Hill.
Lexington Musicians' Association
The directory contains names and contact information for Kentucky musicians.
Ashland McDowell Photograph Collection
The photo collection contains images from an unknown event circa 1894.
Kentucky Mountain Club
The Kentucky Mountain Club directory contains organizational information about the club’s history, activities, officers, auxiliary, articles of incorporation, and member names.
Kentucky Almanacs
The Kentucky almanac collection contains old regional almanacs.
Dunbar High School (1923-1967)
The Dunbar Echo was the magazine created by the students of Dunbar High School. Yearbook issues include students, alumni, faculty, sports, classes, photos, and clubs.
Council of Defense Records
The Council of Defense records contain information about the soldiers, sailors, marines, and nurses who served during World War I.
Illustrated Lexington Kentucky
Illustrated Lexington Kentucky contains photographs, demographics, commerce and financial information about Lexington up to 1919.
Old Homes of the Blue Grass
A photographic collection highlighting historic homes of the Bluegrass Region.
Kentucky Progress Magazine
The “Kentucky Progress Magazine” was used by the Kentucky Progress Commission to promote Kentucky, and features local interest stories, photographs of people, places, and activities.
Kentucky Suffrage
The Kentucky Rally Songs pamphlet, published circa 1914 by the WCTU, contains 42 songs advocating women’s suffrage and prohibition.
Knowles Postcard Collection
Images of notable Kentucky locations, such as Ashland, Keeneland, and Mammoth Cave
Fayette County Street and Residential Directories
The Fayette County directories contain local information regarding resident addresses, government and officials, schools, land ownership, businesses, and other local organizations.
The Town Branch
The Town Branch was presented as a brief history of Lexington and the Town Branch, given as a speech by Maude Ward Lafferty in 1917.
Fayette County Postcards
The Fayette County Postcard collection contains 55 images of sites in central Kentucky.
Kentucky Chautauqua
The brochure for the Kentucky Chautauqua includes information and pictures of presenters and events.
Elmer L. Foote Lantern Slide Collection
The Elmer L. Foote Collection is a group of 190 lantern slides. They were created by Elmer L. Foote, a Cincinnati photographer and library staff member whose pictures appeared in the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.
Mountain Ballads for Social Singing
The Mountain Ballads pamphlet is 15 songs originally compiled for English Folk Songs in the Mountains of the Southern Appalachians.
Hamilton Female College Collection
The Hamilton Female College catalogs list the school’s Board of Trustees, faculty, alumnae, graduates, directory of students, courses of study, and the members of each department.