462-year old Beaufort County town opens 1st public library. Take a look inside a new world

Donna Pinckney arrived 30 minutes early for the doors to open because she was so eager to see the first public library in Port Royal’s 462-year history.

For years, Pinckney and her neighbors have had to drive or walk five miles if they wanted a book or to use a computer at a Beaufort County library branch.

She says she plans to be at the library most days doing her emails and faxes mostly. “We should have had it a long time ago,” Pinckney said. “It seems like Port Royal is always the last to get things.”

The town, which takes its name from nearby Port Royal Sound, dates its founding to 1562 and was incorporated in 1874 and surpassed 16,000 residents last year . But it’s getting its first public county library in 2024.

Named after legendary Port Royal Mayor Samuel E. Murray , the new library is the Beaufort County Library’s sixth and newest branch. It gives the town’s residents easier access to more than 5,000 books, movies and other materials, including child, teen and adult collections, public computers, a scan-fax-email station and study and meeting rooms. Currently, the closest library to Port Royal is the Downtown Library miles away on Scott Street in Beaufort.

Port Royal’s explosive growth

The town’s first library is opening as its growth continues — the population jumped by 2,000 residents between 2020 and 2023 to 16,287 as of July 2023. A $16 million overhaul of Paris Avenue , where the library is located, is also in the works.

“It really makes sense to put this library here now,” said Library Director Amanda Brewer Dickman, mentioning the population growth and the town’s strong desire for a library.

The need for libraries continues even in the digital age, Brewer Dickman says. In fiscal year 2024, the library’s branches lent 600,000 books — 900,000 when digital check-outs are included. Roughly 400,000 people walked through the doors to check out books, log-on to the computers or to use study or meeting rooms.

One of the benefits of a library is it is free, Brewer Dickman points out. A person checking out a book, for example, saves around $30. Residents can use a computer with a Wi-Fi connection, she adds, without having to buy a cup of coffee.

Libraries also continue to be important community meeting spaces for residents or simply “a place to get out of the house.”

“It’s the heart of every community,” Dickman says of a library. “In this digital age, I think you can make the case that a library is needed now more than ever.”

The early days of hope

The town first got word from County Councilwoman Alice Howard in October 2022 that Beaufort County was considering opening the town’s first library .

The county later set aside $660,000 for renovating a vacant, county-owned building on Paris Avenue and stocking the library. The building at 1408 Paris Ave. became available when Beaufort County Senior Services moved to a new location, Brewer Dickman says.

“I’m just so excited about this library,” Howard said recently, adding it will enhance the unique community and continue the mission of Beaufort County Library to support “learning, leisure, and life.”

Beaufort County Library researched the historical record and did not find a mention of a either government-owned or private library ever being active in Port Royal, Brewer Dickman said.

“We’re not aware of one that existed until now,” she said.

The branch’s hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Sundays.

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