It’s not a surprise to learn that one of the first buildings constructed in Rugby was a library. The founder, Thomas Hughes, was an English author. The library was completed in May of 1882. Books began to pour in from publishers in honor of Hughes. 7,000 volumes fill the shelves of this one-room library. Most of which are original. This library remains practically unchanged since it’s opening day on October 5th, 1882. It was maintained during the years of Rugby’s decline and today, this is one of the earliest free public libraries in the state of Tennessee still standing!
This is possibly my favorite part of the tour! Make sure to take the tour when you visit Historic Rugby so you can see this incredible old library.
