New Fort Mill Library Opens at the Village of Baxter
August 23, 1999

The Fort Mill Branch of the York County Public Library, located at the main entrance of the Village of Baxter on Highway 160, opened its doors today, giving both Baxter and York County residents access to a state-of-the-art community library.

"The library is one of the crowning jewels of the master plan for Baxter," said James Traynor, president of Clear Springs Development Company, which is developing the 950-acre traditional neighborhood. "It is conveniently located not only for Baxter homeowners, but for all Fort Mill residents."

The 11,600-square-foot library replaces a 4,000-square-foot facility located in downtown Fort Mill. The new two-story library includes 8,800 square feet of office space on the second floor, where the offices of the Springs Foundation, York County Economic Development and Clear Springs Development Company will be located. The library is designed to accommodate a future library expansion of 7,000 square feet on the first floor.

The library, which will be managed by Mary Windell, houses more than 40,000 volumes with the capacity to hold 80,000 volumes - double the downtown branch's capacity - and 18 personal computers with Internet access and CD-ROM capabilities. The library features a 1,000-square-foot community meeting room, as well as an enlarged collection of magazines, books-on-tape and reference volumes

"With the beginning of a new school year already underway, the opening of a new Fort Mill branch could not come at a better time," said David Lyon, director of the York County Library System. "The old downtown branch checked out more books per year - more than 118,300 - than 13 other county library systems in the state."

The long-anticipated library is the culmination of close cooperation between the public and private sectors in Fort Mill, including Clear Springs Development Company, the Close family, the York County Library System and the York County Council.

The land for the library was donated by the Close family, who owns the property being developed by Clear Springs Development Company. Baxter is a traditional neighborhood that uses classical architecture and home styles to create a picturesque, small-town atmosphere. The village, with homes reflecting the style and character of the upcountry South Carolina region, will be developed in several phases.

The Baxter concept is built upon five building blocks - Sense of community, architecture, amenities, schools and technology. In addition to the library, amenities at Baxter will include a community center, easy access to retail shops and other businesses inside the pedestrian village, and 400 acres of green space, including woods, parks and walking trails.

"The library is one of the most visible amenities at Baxter," Traynor said. "It is destined to become a well-used civic building conveniently located for all Fort Mill residents."

Other branches in the York County Library System are located in Clover, York, Lake Wylie and Rock Hill. The system also operates a book mobile.

The 950-acre Village of Baxter, located 20 minutes from uptown Charlotte in the southwest quadrant of S.C. Highway 160 and Interstate 77, is a traditional neighborhood offering single-family homes and townhouses, as well as commercial sites and more than 400 acres of open spaces.