Juanita E. Thornton/Shepherd Park Library History

The Juanita E. Thornton/Shepherd Park Neighborhood Library at 7420 Georgia Ave. N.W. opened to an appreciative community on July 29, 1990. The dedicated efforts of neighborhood residents, led by a retired D.C. school teacher, Juanita E. Thornton, made the branch a reality after five years of planning. Initially known as the Shepherd Park Branch, the name was changed in 1992 when the neighborhood and Board of Library Trustees voted to amend the name to honor the woman principally responsible for the library’s completion. Situated in the northernmost section of Northwest, the branch serves the community of Shepherd Park and was intended to supplement the services of the outgrown Takoma Park Neighborhood Library, built in 1911. The Juanita E. Thornton Neighborhood Library, a $3.3 million facility, was erected with funds included in the District's supplemental budget of 1985. The library was the second D.C. Neighborhood Library designed by the minority architectural firm of Bryant and Bryant, Architects of Washington, D.C.

A plan to build a public library branch in the Shepherd Park neighborhood first arose in 1984, when residents proposed the placement of a library on a site slated for a Wendy's restaurant. That year, the Wendy's restaurant chain purchased Lots 43 and 44 of Square 2956 on the west side of Georgia Avenue between Geranium and Hemlock streets N.W, planning to erect a restaurant on the site. The 24 apartments that occupied the property were demolished in preparation for the restaurant.

Juanita E. Thornton, a retired D.C. school teacher and community activist concerned about the construction of another fast food restaurant, quickly united the community to stop the restaurant from being erected, using the rallying cry of "Books Not Burgers." In the view of the citizens of Shepherd Park, the Georgia Avenue corridor was already inundated with commercial fast food chains, and a library would better serve the community. Thornton organized a three-prong campaign focusing on gathering grassroots community support, enlisting the help of D.C. Councilmember Charlene Drew Jarvis.

The community was successful in convincing the D.C. Public Library, and accordingly, in July 1985, the Library's Board of Trustees voted to build the library. Councilmember Jarvis persuaded the D.C. City Council to appropriate $3.3 million in the 1985 supplemental budget for the design and construction of the Neighborhood Library. The owner of the site turned over the property to the District when it was determined that a public library would be built there. The Public Library chose the firm of Bryant and Bryant, Architects, which had been responsible for the plans for the Lamond-Riggs Branch (1983), to design the new library facility.

The firm of Bryant and Bryant, Architects, was established in Washington in March 1965 by Charles Irving Bryant. The firm, which would become the largest minority-owned architectural firm in Washington, was led by its two principals, Charles Irving Bryant and his brother Robert Edward Bryant. Both partners were educated at Howard University, completing the Bachelor of Architecture program there. The firm had extensive experience in designing buildings in D.C., including at the University of the District of Columbia (1972) and the Lamond-Riggs Neighborhood Library (1983). Charles Bryant was also an active member of D.C.'s commercial and civic communities, serving as chairperson of the Planning and Development Committee of the Greater Washington Board of Trade and as a member of the D.C. Commission of the Arts and Humanities.

After three years of planning, ground was broken for the new Shepherd Park Neighborhood Library on September 26, 1988. The facility consisted of a two-story, reinforced concrete structure faced with "Calvert Rose" brick. The building featured an irregular shape, consisting of interlocking geometric shapes that resembled clustered towers and numerous, generously sized windows. The building contained reading rooms for children and adults, audio-visual facilities, an auditorium, several meeting rooms and exhibit space. Space was provided for 48,000 volumes in the book stacks.

The Shepherd Park Neighborhood Library opened July 29, 1990, with a collection of 20,000 books, 50 tapes, 250 children's records, 125 compact disks and several magazines. The first branch librarian was Winnell Montague, a 20-year library veteran.
 
In October 1992, the library held a renaming ceremony to honor Juanita E. Thornton, the primary force behind the establishment of the branch. Thornton had passed away on September 14, 1990, and the community wanted to recognize her efforts and create a memorial to her memory. Thus, the Shepherd Park Branch became the Juanita E. Thornton/Shepherd Park Neighborhood Library.
 
The Friends of the Juanita E. Thornton/Shepherd Park Neighborhood Library was organized in fall 1990. This organization continues to provide support to the branch through its fundraising, volunteer and advocacy activities.
 
Today, the Juanita E. Thornton/Shepherd Park Neighborhood Library serves its community with a wide range of reference and reader's advisory services and community meeting spaces. Supplementary public programs today include a book club, authors’ talks and children's story hours.