This photo of the Maple Valley Library appeared in the Oct. 14, 1966 edition of the Seattle Times. It accompanied an article explaining details of King County’s proposed $6 million, library bond proposal in the November election. At the time of this 1966 photo, the library was located at the intersection of S.E. 216th and Maxwell Road, across the street from Good Earth Works. This tiny building of 540 square feet was erected after an architect, Felix Campanella visited the earlier makeshift quarters, stuffed in the corner of a real estate office. Campenalla’s challenge to the librarians, “You ladies call this a library?” rallied the community and resulted in group of men constructing this building in 1959. The design was based on a sketch provided by Campanella.
A Library Guild to maintain the new facility was formed in 1960 by George Dale, Walt Read, Mrs. Henry Krall, and Mrs. Oren Sroafe. In 1964 the telephone company, upon whose property the library sat, requested its land back. Joe and Billie Flynn offered to donate a site on the Maple Valley Highway. Two years later a brand-new building was completed across from the Flynn family’s Wilderness Village development. Next week, more about that new library, the direct result following voter approval of the aforementioned bond issue.
