Step inside our Kreutz Creek Library in Hellam and you are standing inside a 1,250 square foot double-wide trailer. The trailer has housed the library since its opening on February 19, 1979. That’s forty years!
Bursting At The Seams
This tiny library is bursting at the seams with activity. It serves 43,000 visitors per year which is equivalent to the population of York City. It has active children’s programming which often spills into the garden outside. Children and their parents plant seeds, water, harvest and learn about the plants they grow. Branch Manager Susan Nenstiel says that over the years they have grown crops like cotton, corn, and potatoes. And each summer, library staff and families create and add art to the garden. Adults come to the library to use computers, get a great book, connect with other knitters, and so much more. The library has incredible support from dedicated volunteers and Friends of the Library who work hard to make this tiny library tick and thrive!
An Interesting Start
The little trailer that could…had a another life before becoming a library. It served as home to a family needing shelter in the aftermath of Hurricane Agnes in 1972. A few years later, members of the Wrightsville Rotary and community members wanted to establish a library in the eastern part of York County. They learned of the trailer’s availability and Hellam Township donated the land. As the trailer moved from Williamsport to Hellam, the roof was torn off as it passed under a bridge. Repairs were made and the library prepared to open. When the library dedication ceremony came to a close, guests discovered their cars were stuck in the mud of the unpaved parking lot. A tow truck came to free them.
Ready to Grow
The library has spent forty memorable years in the double-wide trailer and is ready to grow. On April 1, the public phase of the Imagine. Discover. Connect. capital campaign will officially kick-off! Kreutz Creek Library is one of three York County Libraries that are ready to expand their facilities and services.
Kreutz Creek’s future location will triple in size and will include:
- Expanded open services areas
- Additional computers with added technology and services
- Dedicated children and teen program spaces
- Additional seating and meeting space