“The only thing you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.” — Albert Einstein
DANVILLE — Well, Einstein, the Danville Heritage Association (DHA) is putting that motto into motion as the group nears their $200,000 goal to expand the Danville Public Library into a bigger building at 101 E. Ross St.
The association floated its plan around Knox County via mailed-pamphlets in December 2025, but recently eclipsed $120,000 and plans to apply for a permit from the state of Ohio in March.
So, what’s the page-turning plan?
“The current location for the Danville Public Library is inadequate for the needs of our community,” a DHA handout states.
“It is located in the Danville Village Municipal Building adjacent to the police department and maintenance operations.
“It is our plan to relocate the current library operations to the vacant former lumber yard hardware store location at 101 E. Ross St. The floor space in this location, [about 3,000 more square feet], is almost three times larger than the current facility.”
DHA set the $200,000 goal to help fund the remodeling and monthly expenses (rent and utilities) for the project. However, DHA expects construction costs to be low and the goal money will primarily serve as an endowment for future needs.
The association’s fundraising efforts formed in response to:
- The need for a better library to serve Danville Local Schools, Amish schools and homeschool students plus the whole community.
- The fact that Danville High School no longer has a library.
- “Past Danville Library programming successes have been limited by the current small library space,” DHA’s pamphlet reads.
Danville Public Library has had an agreement for years with the Public Library of Mount Vernon & Knox County (PLMVKC) system.
The agreement states the Village of Danville will supply the space for a library and PLMVKC will operate and staff the space.
DHA plans to continue this agreement at the next location.
DHA Board of Trustees’ Chairman Pat Crow chimes in
In addition to being the Danville Lions Club’s treasurer and Raccoon Dinner spokesman, Pat Crow is leading DHA in this project.
Before the library idea formed, Crow said DHA had planned on helping revitalize the old intermediate school building.
However, Danville Local Schools moved forward with turning that building into a parking lot in November 2025.
“[When the school demolished the building], our attention turned in a different direction,” Crow said. “We still aimed at improving the library facilities and perhaps creating other opportunities for the upliftment of our community.”
Before settling on the former hardware store building, Crow said DHA looked at four or five other buildings around town.
Considering the small size, inability to expand at the current spot and proximity to the police station, “we pursued moving out into the community with our community partners,” Crow added.
Through DHA’s efforts and Mark Ramser‘s $50,000 initial pledge, the project has enlisted the help of Bellville-based Reel Engineering for these early stages.
Crow said Reel Engineering also works with the possible future library building’s owners, the Hawk Family.
“[Reel Engineering] has done a code analysis of the building, and we have now taken that code analysis to the next level, which is preparation of documents to go for state permits to renovate the space,” Crow said.
To prepare for renovations, DHA has been accepting material donations in addition to monetary donations.
Crow noted that even though the library would be renting the building from the Hawks, the lumber-background family has already donated to the project.
For those interested in donating to the project, check out the photo from a DHA handout below and the link here.
