{"id":228,"date":"2026-09-06T02:05:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T02:05:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rrpl-2026.local\/?page_id=228"},"modified":"2026-09-12T23:56:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T23:56:21","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/roanokerapidslibrary.org\/?page_id=228","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-section-5 has-base-background-color has-background has-large-font-size has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained is-style-section-5--1\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-ca2dd60b wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-contrast-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1\" style=\"font-size:clamp(1.403rem, 1.403rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 1.407), 2.3rem);\"><strong>History of the Roanoke Rapids Library<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-contrast-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);font-size:clamp(0.984rem, 0.984rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 0.809), 1.5rem);\">The Roanoke Rapids Public Library was founded in 1933 by the Roanoke Rapids Women\u2019s Club with donated books and a volunteer staff. In 1938 the Club presented the Library to the City of Roanoke Rapids. A few years later, the National Guard Armory became the new home of the Library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-contrast-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);font-size:clamp(0.984rem, 0.984rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 0.809), 1.5rem);\">In 1958 the Jaycees began a fundraising drive to build a new Library building. When the bids came in too high, the Jaycees themselves broke ground and began the building project. Money ran out and it was feared that the Library would not be finished. In December of 1961, a contribution from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation of $15,000 allowed completion of the building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-contrast-color has-base-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-4 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);font-size:clamp(0.984rem, 0.984rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 0.809), 1.5rem);\">A major expansion in 1989 nearly doubled the size of the now 7,550 sq. ft. Library. With over 41,000 items available and nearly 13,000 registered Patrons, the Roanoke Rapids Public Library has been and continues to be a successful community project.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center has-base-background-color has-background is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"888\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/roanokerapidslibrary.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/rrpl-picture-888x500-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1214\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/roanokerapidslibrary.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/rrpl-picture-888x500-1-1.jpg 888w, https:\/\/roanokerapidslibrary.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/rrpl-picture-888x500-1-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/roanokerapidslibrary.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/rrpl-picture-888x500-1-1-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 888px) 100vw, 888px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n        <div class=\"snagm-map-container \" style=\"position:relative; width:100%; height:450px; max-width:100%; overflow:hidden; border-radius:8px; box-shadow:0 2px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);\">\n            <iframe\n                title=\"Google Map Location\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/maps.google.com\/maps?q=319%20Roanoke%20Avenue%2C%2027870&#038;t=&#038;z=16&#038;ie=UTF8&#038;iwloc=&#038;output=embed\"\n                width=\"100%\"\n                height=\"100%\"\n                style=\"border:0; width:100%; height:100%;\"\n                loading=\"lazy\"\n                allowfullscreen=\"\"\n                referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\">\n            <\/iframe>\n        <\/div>\n        \n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>History of the Roanoke Rapids Library The Roanoke Rapids Public Library was founded in 1933 by the Roanoke Rapids Women\u2019s Club with donated books and a volunteer staff. In 1938 the Club presented the Library to the City of Roanoke Rapids. A few years later, the National Guard Armory became the new home of the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-228","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/roanokerapidslibrary.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/228","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/roanokerapidslibrary.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/roanokerapidslibrary.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roanokerapidslibrary.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roanokerapidslibrary.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=228"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/roanokerapidslibrary.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/228\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1339,"href":"https:\/\/roanokerapidslibrary.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/228\/revisions\/1339"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/roanokerapidslibrary.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}