On April 28, 1876
the Wardsville Library Association and Mechanics Institute was
formed, and received a grant from the Bureau of Agriculture to
help buy books. The library was located in a room rented from
Alexander McCowan, Lot 16, on the north side of Main Street. In
June 1881, the library was moved to a room added to his tailor’s
shop by William Mimna, on Lot 18, north side of Main Street.
In 1908 funds were
raised in the community to purchase a building from Mrs. Alex
McIntyre, for $155, to house the library. The library remained
there for more than ninety years. During the years of World War
I any money raised had been spent on the war effort, so in 1920
an appeal went out to current and former members of the
Wardsville community for funds to improve and redecorate the
library. The response was generous.
When Wardsville
became part of the Municipality of Southwest Middlesex in
January 2001 the Wardsville municipal office was renovated and
the library was relocated there. The official opening was on
June 8, 2001.
