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Former public library branch office discovered in Ashland backyard By AMBER FOSSEN Ashland Daily Tidings A piece of historical Ashland has surfaced in Alicia Mannix's backyard. Mannix, a Windsor Street resident for the past seven years, rented her home, in part, because of a quaint Elizabethan-style building in her backyard, located off the side of the back porch. After purchasing the house, Mannix decided she wanted to renovate the small building. Only then did she learn that she was restoring one of Ashland's forgotten treasures. Ashland resident Alicia Mannix wants to find a new home for the former library branch office that she found in her backyard. Ashland Daily Tidings/ DENISE BARATTA "Someone said it belonged to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, another said it belonged to the library," Mannix said. A neighbor tipped Mannix off, saying the structure was formerly positioned in the Garden Way Park. After a little research, Mannix discovered the worn building once served as a branch library for the Ashland Public Library. Constructed for the Ashland Economic Development Commission as an information booth for dispensing tourist information during the World Fair in Seattle, the building was remodeled in the early 1960s to serve as an extension for the main library. The remodel was made possible through a memorial fund established by the Billings family. According to long-time Ashland resident John Billings, the building was a memorial to his parents - Ralph and Myrtle Billings - who were dedicated to education and institutions that supported learning. "My parents had a special interest in the library," Billings said, adding his mother was an avid reader and a member of the Fortnightly study club. The Billings family later donated a rare collection of books, documents and pictures in memory of Ralph and Myrtle Billings to the library, as an alternative to the cottage. The branch provided the same service as the main library, according to documents provided by the Southern Oregon Historical Society. Requests for books not on hand would be phoned into the main library for patrons to pick up the following day. The small cottage was used often, with more than 620 books issued in August of 1965. Cora Mason, 99, said she worked at the branch, which served the public part-time. "It meant a lot to us and a lot to a lot of people," said Mason, who worked for the Ashland Public Library for 20 years until her retirement in the early 1970s. Bob Wilson, Ashland Public Library director, said when Ashland joined the Jackson County Public Library system in 1970, the Garden Way branch was discarded. "The county library system decided it was too expensive to run the branch," Wilson said. The structure sat forgotten in Garden Way park until at least 1973, but how and when it ended up in Mannix's backyard is a mystery. "I don't know how they would get it in here, it's a mystery to me," she said. Mannix said she would like to find the architect who designed it to restore it to its original condition. "I would love to keep it but I think it would have a better purpose if it were used somewhere in the city as a relic to the past," Mannix said. "If it can serve a great purpose, I'd be happy with a shack with no historical value." LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -