Kershaw’s First Library

This quaint cottage was built in 1900 just outside of Kershaw as the office for a local lumber mill company, J.V. Welsh and Sons. After the McDowell Music Club (also spelled MacDowell Music Club) was formed in 1934, the women’s music appreciation group used the building to house the town’s first library, which remained here until a new library was built in 1949.

The building remained in its original location until 2001, when it was moved to its present site in town. Following the library’s move, the structure became the headquarters for the John T. Stevens Foundation.

The Stevens Foundation was founded in 1948 by John T. Stevens, a Lancaster County native and cotton oil magnate. Two years prior to his death, Stevens established a foundation bearing his name that would help fund the scholarships of students in both Lancaster and Kershaw counties who wished to pursue careers in healthcare with the commitment of returning to their home counties to start their careers.