The north end of downtown Hearne developed after the arrival of the second railroad (the International & Great Northern) in 1871.  The building now known as the Smith-Welch Memorial Library was erected in 1892 on the site of an earlier wooden store.  It remains one of the most ornate buildings in the downtown area reflecting the prosperity of Hearne in the late nineteenth century.  The upper portion of the front facade has classical details in pressed metal on a wood frame.  Above the main floor is a mezzanine with an open well which allowed light to enter through a skylight and second floor windows.  The second level has an impressive gallery with original carved fretwork and semi-circular leaded/stained glass window facing the street.  The building was donated to the city 1971 by Mrs. Josie T. Welch) when it was converted for use as a public library.  This outstanding pressed metal fascaded Victorian Building has undergone extensive restoration.  Builder J. H. Batley was a prosperous Hearne merchant.  He sold the building in 1895 to Sam Lipsitz who operated a dry goods store here, a use which continued under several ownerships until late 1930.  For many years, the building served as home to the Misses Smith Store, a center of fashion in Robertson County in the early 1900s.  Ladies came by train to purchase hats and dresses shipped from as far away as Paris and New York.

The Smith-Welch Memorial Library is one of 12 buildings or groups of buildings in Robertson County that is preserved in the U.S. Library of Congress American Memory Collection.  Seven architectural drawings and floor plans of this historic building from this collection are featured below.
 

IN ROBERTSON COUNTY Bremond Public Library 115 South Main Street Bremond, Texas 76629 254.746.7752 phone www.bremondtxlibrary.com Katy Hamman-Stricker Public Library 404 East Mitchell Street Calvert, Texas 77837 Katy Hamman Stricker Library Robertson County Public Library Franklin, Texas 77856 979.828.4331 phone Hours: Tuesday & Wednesday: 9:30 – 12:30; 1:30  – 5; Thursday: 9:30 – 12:30; 2 – 5 WITHIN 25 MILES OF HEARNE Bryan/College Station Public Library System Bryan Public Library, College Station Public Library, & Carnegie Center Of Brazos Valley History; B/CS Library System Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints Family History Center 2500 Barak Lane Bryan, Texas Phone: 979.846.3516 Hours: T,Th 10am-5pm, 7pm-9:30pm; W 7pm-9:30pm; (1st Sat) 9am-11am; Sun 6pm-8:30pm; Closed: Aug 19-29; Dec 24-Jn 7  Family History Centers Texas A&M University Libraries Cushing Memorial Library, Medical Sciences Library,  Policy Sciences & Economics Library, Sterling C. Evans Library, West Campus Library, & Biological Collections. About Hearne • Agriculture • Business Environment • Camp Hearne • Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer • Cemeteries • Chamber Of Commerce • Chamber Membership Application • Churches • City Of Hearne • Come Home To Hearne • Commercial Real Estate • Disclaimers • Economic Development • Emergency Services • Federal & State Representatives • Flowers & Foliage • Genealogy & History • Hearne Railroad Depot • Historic Hearne Tour • Hunting & Fishing • Last Real Aunt Jemima • Libraries • Local Attractions • Local Businesses • Local Governments • Local Realtors • Major Employers • Maps & Guides • Media Center • Mothers Against Drunk Driving • Municipal Airport • Nearby Attractions • Newspapers • Oil & Gas • Organizations • Outdoor Activities • Places To Eat • Places To Rent • Places To Stay • Railroads & Trains • Road Repairs • Robertson County Fair • Schools • Texas Brazos Trail • Travel Information • Venues For Rent