ABOUT US
At Breckenridge Community Center and Library, our journey began with a simple book club and a shared vision for a place that would serve our community. What started as a gathering of local readers has transformed into a cherished small library, where knowledge and creativity flourish. With a growing need for a designated space for community events, we’ve expanded our offerings to include programs catering to all interests and age groups. We're dedicated to building connections, celebrating diversity, and making our community a better place for everyone.
OUR HISTORY
History of Breckenridge Community Center Library Group
Our small community of just over 200 residents, at one time, was a bustling, thriving city. At the turn of the 20th Century, our town population was around 2000, give or take a few. We were considered progressive and prosperous at that moment in history. Now, we are struggling to provide anything beyond the basics for the citizens we have.
In the autumn of 2024 a group of ten women, who were also part of a local book club, stepped up and said, “We need a community center, a place to bring people together to socialize and to be informed about community resources, not only in our city, but surrounding areas as well. And we need a library too!” So we set out on our quest to find a place.
No such place existed. Our main street in town, officially known as Broadway Street, was once our thriving business district. In its heyday the downtown area consisted of two grocery stores, bank, hotel, doctor’s office, hardware store, restaurants, movie theater, funeral home, variety store, law offices and more. Now, there is nothing. The entire south side of the street is rubble. The north side has a couple of existing structures, one being a machine shed for the city.
During our search for a place to build a community center, a couple of things happened. Two very wonderful things. First, The Caldwell County Foundation, with whom we’d touched base for advice, offered to guide us in setting up our 501(c)(3). They even offered to be the umbrella organization for us, allowing us to utilize their tax exempt status until we could obtain our own. We hit the ground running with a fundraising letter campaign, which was very successful. The second wonderful occurrence was that a local funeral home offered to sell us their facility. We purchased the building for a fraction of its appraised value and a local friend of the community wrote the check.
Utilizing donations of labor, materials and fundraising monies, we set to work remodeling. We rerouted some plumbing, installed a kitchenette, improved lighting and set up a library space at one end of the building. Small, local grants have enabled us to purchase tables and a smart TV. The local cable company donated computers, WiFi installation, security cameras and office furniture for the library. We continue to write grants and fundraise to make improvements.
We have rented the space for alumni reunions, birthday parties, baby showers, and meetings. We have hosted several meetings of local groups as well. For the community at large, we have had soup suppers, fundraiser for a citizen’s medical expenses, ice cream social, outdoor music event, to name a few. In the planning stages are senior yoga classes, bingo and movie nights, senior brunches and more.
This summer we held several youth events because our local school did not have summer school for the town’s children. Hosting Flag Day activities, nutrition/cooking classes, visits from the conservation agent, sheriff’s department and a local story teller was so much fun. In November we are hosting an after school quilting class for two weeks for middle and high school aged students. (A local quilt company has donated fabric and supplies.) Some of the quilts we plan to gift to senior citizens in town. Others will be keepsakes for the creators. All of the classes and youth events were met with much enthusiasm from students and parents alike.
As this first year winds down, we see more and more possibilities for what we might provide for the community. In the future, our center will be the new polling place for elections. Our library is growing each and every week as more donations arrive. We hope to have vaccination clinics, blood drives, music and art events - the list is endless.
All in all, our group is hopeful that our community center and library will not exist as a “one shot” booster for our little town, but will serve as an ongoing catalyst for growth and betterment for our citizens. This is our short history - and we’ve only just begun.