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Its preface would detail the library’s origins as a gothic church whose initial congregants, mostly Czech and German pioneer settlers, marked their founding in 1890 in Buckholts, Texas. Built in 1925, the structure eventually became the property of a Czech farmer after a new sanctuary was erected in the Buckholts hamlet in 1975. Once a house of worship, the building was later moved piece by piece to Round Top.
And while its epilogue has yet to be written, contemporary chapters would surely include the ambitious expansion plans, announced in 2024, aimed at enhancing the library’s ability to serve new generations of the greater Round Top community.
In between are stories of bootstraps determination, ingenuity, philanthropic generosity, and committed foresightedness. The library’s motto, “Why Dream Ordinary,” carved into the stone steps of the campus garden, is writ large.
The Round Top Family Library’s current authors are a devoted lot of engaged, committed volunteers, staffers and townsfolk – a books-happy brigade dedicated to enhancing and expanding the mission of a welcoming community center serving all ages. Their work is a story as sweet and unique as Round Top itself.
At the helm is Craig Moreau, a Round Top resident who serves as the library’s executive director, not only shepherding daily operations but the ongoing expansion efforts that are expected to reach fruition before the end of the year.
The $1.75 million plan, designed to meet the growing needs of the area community, include: 2,300 square feet of new space for library operations, presentations and classrooms; meeting space to accommodate new programs; expanded areas for children, youth and teen programs; additional shelving for the growing 10,000-book lending collection; new bathrooms with handicap access; additional parking; and drainage improvements to protect the 4-acre campus and its structures.
“It allows us to do what we do but better,” Moreau said. The former Houston firefighter and paramedic and former chief of emergence management for Fayette County, Moreau has an extensive background in working with non-profits and community service.
“When completed, we’ll be able to do more of what we’re doing already,” he added.
That “more” is the heart of the community-led efforts that began even before the library opened its doors as a children’s library in the original Rummel Haus structure in 2000. While the library may be relatively new, its historical arch is significant – a timeline that includes a fascinating chapter of how a former church (and later a farmer’s hay barn) was moved in pieces across three counties to become the defining structure of the library campus that was completed in 2002.
The current expansion plans are expected to be realized later this year, neatly coinciding with the library’s 25th anniversary. The Round Top Family Library’s annual Wrangler’s Gala, set for Sept. 13, promises to be a moment of triumph for Round Top – the smallest incorporated town in Texas with an accredited library.
A job well done; a story well told.
Its preface would detail the library’s origins as a gothic church whose initial congregants, mostly Czech and German pioneer settlers, marked their founding in 1890 in Buckholts, Texas. Built in 1925, the structure eventually became the property of a Czech farmer after a new sanctuary was erected in the Buckholts hamlet in 1975. Once a house of worship, the building was later moved piece by piece to Round Top.
And while its epilogue has yet to be written, contemporary chapters would surely include the ambitious expansion plans, announced in 2024, aimed at enhancing the library’s ability to serve new generations of the greater Round Top community.
In between are stories of bootstraps determination, ingenuity, philanthropic generosity, and committed foresightedness. The library’s motto, “Why Dream Ordinary,” carved into the stone steps of the campus garden, is writ large.
The Round Top Family Library’s current authors are a devoted lot of engaged, committed volunteers, staffers and townsfolk – a books-happy brigade dedicated to enhancing and expanding the mission of a welcoming community center serving all ages. Their work is a story as sweet and unique as Round Top itself.
At the helm is Craig Moreau, a Round Top resident who serves as the library’s executive director, not only shepherding daily operations but the ongoing expansion efforts that are expected to reach fruition before the end of the year.
The $1.75 million plan, designed to meet the growing needs of the area community, include: 2,300 square feet of new space for library operations, presentations and classrooms; meeting space to accommodate new programs; expanded areas for children, youth and teen programs; additional shelving for the growing 10,000-book lending collection; new bathrooms with handicap access; additional parking; and drainage improvements to protect the 4-acre campus and its structures.
“It allows us to do what we do but better,” Moreau said. The former Houston firefighter and paramedic and former chief of emergence management for Fayette County, Moreau has an extensive background in working with non-profits and community service.
“When completed, we’ll be able to do more of what we’re doing already,” he added.
That “more” is the heart of the community-led efforts that began even before the library opened its doors as a children’s library in the original Rummel Haus structure in 2000. While the library may be relatively new, its historical arch is significant – a timeline that includes a fascinating chapter of how a former church (and later a farmer’s hay barn) was moved in pieces across three counties to become the defining structure of the library campus that was completed in 2002.
The current expansion plans are expected to be realized later this year, neatly coinciding with the library’s 25th anniversary. The Round Top Family Library’s annual Wrangler’s Gala, set for Sept. 13, promises to be a moment of triumph for Round Top – the smallest incorporated town in Texas with an accredited library.
A job well done; a story well told.
