Wagnalls Memorial Library

        Have you ever heard of Funk and Wagnalls Dictionaries? Well, while Funk went to Springfield where his father had established the Pennsylvania House, Adam Wagnalls went back to his birthplace of Lithopolis, Ohio. He was quite prosperous, which allowed his daughter Mabel to receive a high education. Eventually, Mabel Wagnalls Jones became a prominent figure in her own right as both a concert pianist as well as an author. In 1925, she wanted to give back to her community and so designed and built the Wagnalls Memorial Library and Community Center in the memory of her parents. The building is in the Tudor-Gothic style and created from native stone. The original building had a 300 seat auditorium, a library, banquet hall, and two towers. It was to be available to all people of Lithopolis and central Ohio to promote education and community.

        Mabel died in 1946 but left almost her entire estate to establish the Wagnalls Memorial Fund. This endowment allowed the continuation and improvement of the main building as a library and the establishment of scholarship fund in order to sustain Mabel's dream of supporting the community through education and providing a town center. 

        Today, the library is still open and serving the community. The community center is open to local organizations and often houses the library's book sale. The town of Lithopolis is small, containing only one stoplight and has a population of roughly 1,200 people. The main road now continues along Route 674 and so Lithopolis is a small stop off to the side, but there are small businesses and a close-knit community that endures. The library continues to promote the history of the building by providing guided tours, including information on the two original Normal Rockwell paintings housed in the castle-like structure. Mabel's and her parents' portraits are on prominent display, watching as their legacy is continued. 

Sources: 

Photo and information from the Wagnalls Memorial website: http://www.wagnalls.org/wagnalls_heritage.htm

Also, from growing up just down the road a pace.