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In the late 1800s, Library Hall on Frederick Road provided a rental book collection, with separate reading rooms for men and women. Later, the need for a free public library was recognized and in 1941 the Catonsville Library Association, Inc., was formed. Volunteers went door to door soliciting donations from local residents to form a library.
On July 1, 1941, the Catonsville Free Public Library opened its doors in a rented building on Frederick Road. By 1945 the book collection numbered 3,625 volumes for adults and 1,276 for children, plus newspapers and periodicals.
The library soon outgrew its quarters and in 1945 the Library Association purchased a small brick building at 927 Frederick Road, where library service thrived.
The current Catonsville Branch was dedicated in 1963 and is located at 1100 Frederick Road near the corner of Beaumont Avenue. On this site is rumored to have been Castle Thunder, home of English businessman Richard Caton and Polly Carroll (daughter of signer of the Declaration of Independence, Charles Carroll.)
The mural in the branch's Heidelbach Memorial Garden was dedicated on June 2, 1996 and was spearheaded by the Catonsville Garden Club. Each panel depicts a scene from a children's literature classic and was created by the students of Hillcrest, Maiden Choice, Catonsville Middle, Saint Mark's, Westowne, Saint Agnes, Saint Paul, and Delrey schools.
