The Next Generation of Writers Finds Inspiration at a Carnegie Library in Rural Georgia

Library Name: Eatonton-Putnam County Library
Location: Eatonton, Georgia
Date Built: 1916
Original Carnegie Grant: $6,000
Fun Fact: The library has no cornerstone, as the original broke during shipment from Dunfermline, Scotland, where Andrew Carnegie was born.

When Andrew Carnegie funded the construction of nearly 1,700 Carnegie Libraries across the United States, beginning in 1886, he insisted that the libraries be maintained by their communities. Many of them have kept that commitment for more than a century. In our series, Carnegie Library Road Trip, we visit some of these remarkable public institutions through personal stories submitted to our website, carnegielibraries.org.

Eatonton, Georgia, located about 75 miles southeast of Atlanta and home to roughly 6,500 people, is known for its antebellum homes and agricultural industry. It has “that traditional small town feel where everybody knows everybody and several generations have grown up,” says Eatonton-Putnam County Library branch manager Abby Boatfield. Patrons come to the library not only for books but to attend programs, bring their children to story times, receive guidance on enrollment in public benefits like SNAP, and even take Tai Chi classes. “We truly are the central hub of information for the community,” says Boatfield.

Left: The library’s original one-room structure, built in 1916, is now called the “Carnegie Room” and hosts the children’s section. Right: Children use the computer lab. The library hopes to inspire the town’s youngest readers and writers. (Credit: Eatonton-Putnam County Library)

The Eatonton-Putnam County Library began as a one-room structure, built in 1916 with a $6,000 grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York. The library has grown through subsequent additions but retains many of its original features, including its Classical Revival façade, wooden shelves and circulation desk, and a dumbwaiter that travels between the desk and basement. The original room, now called the “Carnegie Room,” hosts the children’s section. The library’s original collection is on view in an adjoining Heritage Room, where researchers and cardholders can learn about local history.

A floor plan details the original, one-room Carnegie building, which opened in 1916. (Credit: Eatonton-Putnam County Library)

Blueprints outline the library’s current floor plan, following several additions. The original structure is visible at bottom right. (Credit: Eatonton-Putnam County Library)

In 2023, with support from the Georgia Writers Museum, the branch opened a small museum of its own inside the library. The displays are dedicated to author Alice Walker, who grew up in Eatonton and became the first Black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel The Color Purple. Although Walker has donated materials to the museum, including a writing desk, signed first editions, and artifacts from her career, she has spoken publicly about her childhood, when she had no idea that this library existed. Even if she had known, widespread segregation might have prevented her from using it.

Today, Boatfield aims to make sure that all her town’s youngest readers and writers know that there is a place in Eatonton where they can attend readings and writing workshops, take part in journaling sessions, or enjoy a quiet area to sit and write. “The next Alice Walker is going to come here,” Boatfield says, “and she’s going to be inspired.”

Opened in 2023, a small museum showcases books and artifacts from the career of Alice Walker. Born and raised in Eatonton, Walker was the first Black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. (Credit: Eatonton-Putnam County Library)

By the Numbers

The Eatonton-Putnam County Library was visited 25,660 times in 2025. 3,866 community members have library cards — more than 1/2 the population of Eatonton. 44.7% of Eatonton’s residents are Black. In October 2026, the library will celebrate its 110th year in operation. Benjamin Hunt, the businessman who lobbied for the original Carnegie Library grant, brought 15 Jersey cows to Eatonton, kickstarting the region’s now-famous dairy industry. 307 people per square mile live in Eatonton, according to census data. 12.7% of public libraries in the U.S. are located in the Southeast.

Gabriel Fine is the content manager at Carnegie Corporation of New York.

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To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, Carnegie Libraries across America have each received a $10,000 gift. Read stories about how they are using the funds.