Knightstown owns a piece of the Historic National Road, which cuts through a host of East Central Indiana communities. The town’s stretch of the lauded highway is the core of the community’s commercial and social life, and it is lined by a number of century-old buildings that stand to tell the story of a bygone era. Since 1912, the Knightstown Public Library has been a cornerstone of the town’s quaint downtown district, and a current wave of refurbishments are aimed at ensuring its success for decades to come.

“Walking through the doors of the historic building triggers memories for those who have been used the library through the years and arouses curiosity about those memories for younger generations,” said JoAnn Bush, a dedicated volunteer at the library.

The Carnegie library, one of 165 dotted across the Hoosier state, began to show its age once it passed its 100th birthday, leading many of its supporters to call for preservation efforts. Unanimous support for undertaking eventually came in 2022, making the ongoing renovation project the culmination of a nearly two-decade-long goal of finding a remedy for the facility’s structural problems and accessibility issues.

With more than $890,000 initially allocated for the project, the Knightstown Public Library is in the process of updating critical structural components, adding ADA compliant entryways, enhancing the library-going experience, and making various cosmetic improvements.

“In addition to the installation of an elevator and handicapped accessible restrooms, the renovation project allows us to provide a free, safe, welcoming space to each and every patron,” Bush said. “We will also continue to offer 100% free educational resources to anyone who walks through our doors. Our vision for the future includes working closely with other public agencies such as WorkOne, Social Services, the Council on Literacy, and Head Start just to name a few.”

Collaboration between local government, state agencies, and the region’s economic development organization — the East Central Indiana Regional Partnership (ECIRP) — made up the financial backbone of the project. The ECIRP alone devoted $90,000 to the effort, which paid for an ADA accessible elevator.

Though the refurbishment efforts have made considerable progress since they began earlier in 2024, Bush said that a firm project completion date has not yet been reached. The library is still in need of funding for final interior refreshes, like refinishing the ceiling and replacing the carpet.

While it is still unclear as to when the library will reopen its historic doors, the Knightstown Public Library’s mission could not be more transparent. Bush and her fellow library board members view the facility as a transformative community asset.

“A well-maintained and supported library offers a free, safe space to everyone in the community,” Bush said. “More than a housing facility for books, the public library is in the forefront defending the truth and fighting against misinformation. More than a community center, town hall, or public park ever could, our library connects communities in a way that benefits everyone. Pooling local resources, we will be able to aid patrons in every facet of daily life.”

As a tight-knit community with a population of a little more than 2,000 residents, the Knightstown Public Library often serves an outsized role in its region — which Bush evidences with real-world examples. 

“Some real-life examples include identifying insects that were swarming in a patrons yard; using AI we were able to assist a patron who wanted to translate letters that were written in French,” Bush said. “In one very unusual case we were able to help another patron who was searching for a lost brother. 

“An illiterate patron needed to learn to read so she could pass her driver’s test. The library filled the gap in social services and found a tutor for her and offered a safe place where she could learn.”

Whether to help a neighbor calm an aggressive hive of pests or to simply check out a book, the Knightstown Public Library has served its community for more than a century, and the ongoing renovations will preserve that impact for the future.

“The library board is proud to be part of this continuing legacy,” Bush said.