Palmer Lake Library: A Small Town Feel with a Big Heart

By Jeremiah Walter

Like many Colorado towns, the Town of Palmer Lake was created to help support the railroads. The narrow-gauge steam engines of General William J. Palmer’s Denver & Rio Grande Railroad required water and Palmer Lake was the only natural water supply in the Palmer Divide area.

As the community grew, so did the need for books. In 1933, the church in Palmer Lake, where Evalena Macey was pastor, made 500 books available to the public. The collection later moved to Palmer Lake School, where it remained for a short time until the space was needed by the school and the books returned to the church.

In 1962, voters approved the formation of a regional library system, and in 1964, the Pikes Peak Regional Library District was officially established.

On February 22 of that year, Palmer Lake Library opened as part of the new Library District in the former home of a Santa Fe Railroad section foreman, sharing the building with a museum run by the Palmer Lake Historical Society.

In the early 1980s, a group called "Concerned Citizens for the Library" began a drive to build a new library building in Palmer Lake.

More than 100 Palmer Lake residents attended dedication ceremonies on October 4, 1981, for a new library and museum in Palmer Lake beside the Village Green.

The museum was named after Lucretia Vaile, a longtime Palmer Lake resident who bequeathed $35,000 for the museum/library when she passed away in 1977. A painting of Vaile hangs near the library’s nonfiction section.

The museum and library still operate out of this location, which underwent restoration recently to repair an access ramp.

“It was great to be open to the public again after being closed for quite some time,” says Library Associate Mae Lage. “Lots of credit is due to our manager Jean Carrier for all the hard work she put in to get the library opened again with our limited staff. Patrons walked from their close-by houses to see the new ramp and to visit the library once more, and everyone was happy to have it again!”

It re-confirmed the importance of the library to the Palmer Lake community.

“We are frequently a gathering spot where neighbors chat, use our services, read the newspaper, and find out what’s going on in town,” says Library Assistant Kym Alwais. “Many people walk, skate, or bike to the library and the school bus stops in front of our building. For our patrons who don’t have other social outlets, we provide a connection to the community and are a big part of their lives.”

The library’s location provides a great view, especially during the holidays.

“We’re right next to Sundance Mountain, home of the Palmer Lake Star,” says Alwais. “During the holiday season, we have a beautiful view of it every night. We also have a few limitededition Palmer Lake library cards with the star on them for our patrons. There is an adorable little park next to the library featuring a small gazebo and a statue of Dizzy the Dog, who helped shuttle light bulbs up Sundance Mountain to build the town's star in 1935.”

That park, the Village Green, is also home to the library’s popular Friday

Night Concert Series, which is returning this year on August 11, 18, and 25.

Being a smaller location helps staff, who also work at Monument Library, to create a deep bond with Palmer Lake Library patrons.

“Most of them have been coming to the library for decades, so the staff-patron relationship can easily be described as trusting and friendly,” explains Lage. “It’s easy to give in-depth help and get them everything they need from the library, and I think that fosters a highly impactful environment. Even a small library like Palmer Lake can still add to and fit into people's lives.”

That portrait of Lucretia Vaile hanging in the library has had a great view of all of this over the years. But maybe she wanted a better view.

“We think Palmer Lake Library might be haunted,” reports Alwais. “Lights flicker. Minor strange things happen. However, since we turned off the lights over Lucretia’s painting, things have settled down. Maybe she just didn’t like the light in her eyes.”

For patrons past and present, Palmer Lake Library has something to offer to everyone and holds a special place in the hearts of the community.