Mary Willis loved to read; and when she died at the age of 44, her father set in motion a plan to honor his beloved daughter

Mary Willis loved to read; and when she died at the age of 44, her father set in motion a plan to honor his beloved daughter and the people of his hometown, Washington, Georgia.

When it opened in 1889, the Willis Library of Washington, Ga., was the first free library in the state.

In the 19th century, books were for people with money. Dr. Francis T. Willis would change that in Wilkes County. 

His daughter Mary loved to read. She died in Richmond at the age of 44; and her father set in motion a plan to honor his beloved daughter and the people of his hometown, Washington, Ga.

Noted Atlanta architect Edmund George Lind was hired to design the building in the Queen Anne style. 

Willis donated his own private collection of books, plus $15,000 for the library's construction, $2,000 to purchase furnishings and more books, with another $10,000 as an endowment fund. 

A decision was made to ignore the subscription fee, making the Mary Willis Library the first in Georgia — and the best part: free. 

"A lot of people ask if this was originally a church, but it was not. It was always built in memory of Mary Willis."

"A lot of people ask if this was originally a church, but it was not. It was always built in memory of Mary Willis."