The little church in Newport looks like the kind of porcelain church you’d place in a Christmas village, its white siding dotted with tall green windows, centered on arched green doors and topped with a green gable roof. It lacks only an oversized wreath with a red bow.
Built in the late 1860s as a Baptist church, it was similar in size and structure to other country churches of the period. But when the church ceased to be a church, it assumed another sacred purpose: It was filled with books and became the town library.
The fact that it still operates as a library today, open five days a week, feels like a miracle in itself.
The moment you step inside, you sense its history. The church-library sounds like creaky floorboards and smells like old books. It houses two floors of books, the upper level being a wraparound loft, where rocking chairs sway at window tops. There are reading nooks aplenty.
Its entire book collection was donated—and donations continue to roll in, contributing to the ongoing sense of goodwill. Classics like the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew are shelved alongside historical fiction such as Dear America and American Girl books.
Even its community offerings feel delightfully old-fashioned: Cursive Club, take-home puzzles, Wednesday Adult Crafting and Saturday Family Story Time. On Monday evenings, the Silent Book Club gathers for the simple pleasure of reading alone, together.
Somehow we’ve attracted simply amazing guests to our cabin—people who are interesting and interested, folks who appreciate the history of a place, who listen for the story behind the story.
For that special kind of traveler, I recommend a stop at the Newport Library & Community Center, located just 10 minutes from our cabin. Step onto its creaky floorboards and soak up its layered history, steeped in prayers and books.
Sources and visitor information
- Newport Library & Community Center, City of Newport: current hours, services, programs, and visitor information.
- Newport 2040 Comprehensive Plan: the historic Baptist church building and the library’s 1889 establishment.