Genealogical Society to share renovations with public during open house

Members of the The Genealogical Society of Old Tryon County and the community are invited to see recent upgrades to the genealogical library building at 319 Doggett Road in Forest City during an open house on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. 

Among the renovations that have recently been done to the genealogical library is the boarding up of a front window that served as a display window when the building was a dress shop. This has allowed for better climate control for the documents housed within, said Alice Bradley, who heads up the Society. 

“We’ve taken out the display window and stage area - it has been boarded over and insulated, which has provided a better, consistent temperature in the building,” Bradley explained. “We are the repository for some old papers, and we were able to move those into a back room. It’s opened the space up quite a bit.” 

The restrooms also had work done and a fresh coat of paint. Those repairs were provided by volunteers who drive up from Spartanburg, S.C. 

The library generates a lot of traffic, Bradley said, and attracts folks from across the United States who are looking for information on their relatives. 

“Rutherfordton was one of the main trails in the past, and we really had a lot of people through here,” she said. “Some settled here or nearby when Rutherford County was still known as Tryon County. Last year we had people visit from 17 different states.” 

More local folks also discover the library each year, and membership into the Society is $20 for an individual and includes 3 newsletters and use of the library and aid with research. 

There are other renovations Bradley said the Society would like to do to the library, but those will have to occur as the money becomes available. The Society does receive grant funding for the library from the county, but is primarily sustained through Society memberships and private donations.

Formed in 1972, the Society’s library was first located in the Old Tryon Room in the library on the campus of Isothermal Community College. In 1983, it moved to the third story of the former bank building at the clock in Forest City, which served as its home until 2007, when it relocated to Doggett Road. 

“In the summer of 2014 we had a member offer to let us borrow money to purchase this building and make payments for it,” Bradley explained. “So we’ve found our permanent home, and finally converted Mozelle Smith’s dress shop into a library.” 

In addition to touring the library to see the renovations, those in attendance at the open house will hear from a guest speaker Robin Lattimore, whose presentation will be a surprise, and enjoy refreshments. For more information on the event, contact The Genealogical Society of Old Tryon County at 828-247-8700.