Timrod Library was organized in 1897 by 19 women as a Chautauqua Reading Circle and was chartered in 1908 as the Timrod Literary and Library Association. In 1915, its current home was erected on land donated by the town through the efforts of Mayor W.H. Richardson; the building was designed by Henry Burden, the bricks were donated by T.W. Salisbury, and the builder was Jim Cooper. It was named in honor of S.C. poet Henry Timrod, best known for his Confederate poetry. One of two remaining subscription libraries in S.C., it is supported primarily through donations and membership dues. In 1927, a kitchen and assembly room were added. Catherine “Catty” Stewart served as librarian from 1938 to 1953, and her generous bequest in 1979 enabled the library to expand in 1985 with the addition of another room, named the “Catherine Stewart Room.”