The Wicomico County Free Colored Library

There was a time in our history in which public maintained buildings were not open to everyone.  One building was the Wicomico County Free Library.   Black people were not allowed to use it and of course that effected the Black community in Delmar as well as the rest of Wicomico County.   

In July 1940 a committee was formed to establish a free library for colored residents.   The library was started in 1941 by eight young women who saw the need for a library.  Part of those eight were; Helen Dennis, Anna Mae Birckhead, Mrs. Mary Stewart, Mrs. Martha Pinkett, and Mrs Juanita Densitt.

Of note the Delmar Library was started in 1940 and for a time was as small as the Wicomico Country Free Colored Library.  It too was white only.

At first in 1941 the library was located 409 Delaware Avenue (Home of Helen Dennis) Salisbury, Maryland.  It had limited hours; 2 to 5pm on Monday, Tuesday Thursday and Friday and Saturday 6 to 9 PM.

In 1942 it moved to Anderson and Cypress streets to a house donated by Pratt and Lay Phillips, canning house operators

“Mrs. Herman W. Dennis (Helen Dennis), colored, thanked the Mayor and council for their $10 contribution to the library. “ from the Salisbury Times 1943 Oct 6.

In 1947 it was at the Wicomico School Farm housed in the home of Mrs Helen Dennis with hours of 6:30 to 9 Pm.  The school farm was 13 acres on Lake Street beside the colored school.  It was part of the vocational training at the time for Blacks.  At this time the library had over 1,000 books. There was a constant need for children books as the majority of the books were used and donated by adults to the library.  As such they were at an adult reading level.  

In 1948 the Colored Library became part of the Community Fund fundraising effort.  Although it always got the least share of the contributions given to the fund, any amount was a help.

It is not known at what point the Wicomico County Free Colored Library went out of business, probably at the time of the integration of the schools (1962-1964) in Wicomico County.

The name most often associated with the Wicomico County Free Colored Library is Mrs. Helen Louise Scott Dennis.  She was the daughter of William Thomas and Louise Davis Scott of Petersburg, Va. where she was born in 1906.  She got her teachers certificate from Virginia State College and taught in the area before marrying Herman William Dennis in 1937 in Petersburg, Virginia.   Mr. Dennis was the son of William and Elizabeth Peterson Dennis of Allan, Md. Mr. Dennis was an agriculture teacher at Salisbury Colored School.  Mrs. Dennis had a wide range of jobs in Salisbury.  She eventually got a job as a nurse’s aide in Peninsular General Hospital being the first Black aide the Hospital hired. She was active in her church and the Friendly Benefit Club. She would die in 1978.

Anna Mae Birckhead would die in 2006, Martha Pinkett  in 1964, Mary Stewart in 1998