For 54 years, the corner of Wigwam Boulevard and Old Litchfield Road has served as a gathering place for the Litchfield Park community. This weekend, local readers will gather there for one final chapter.
The Litchfield Park Library is hosting its final community event at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 11, hosting its monthly book club discussion on Carley Fortune's "One Golden Summer."
The 5,400-square-foot midcentury building originally opened its doors in 1972 as the Florence Brinton Litchfield Memorial Library, named in honor of the Red Cross volunteer and wife of town founder Paul W. Litchfield.
At 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 18, the doors will close for the last time.
The library will shut down for two weeks while staff members move books and equipment into a brand-new, $5 million facility located at 5390 N. Litchfield Road. The new location is scheduled to open on August 3, drawing the curtain on 54 years of history at the original site.
During the transition, patrons are being routed to the Georgia T. Lord Library in neighboring Goodyear.
While city officials look to the future, the closure brings a wave of nostalgia for residents who grew up browsing its shelves. The original building was a downtown anchor, a place where generations of West Valley children learned to read and gathered for youth workshops.
The transition has proved bittersweet for the community as the decision to move the library away from its central downtown location was met with defense from protective locals, prompting a four-hour city council meeting where dozens of residents spoke out to preserve the downtown tradition.
"It was a difficult decision," Mayor Thomas Schoaf said of the eventual unanimous vote to relocate. "But the council saw the long-term vision for what this hilltop could become, a true cultural hub for the West Valley."
The move also coincides with the recent dissolution of the Friends of the Litchfield Park Library, a volunteer nonprofit that spent 31 years fundraising for children's summer reading programs and youth arts crafts. The group disbanded on June 30 due to space limitations in the new building, marking the end of a long-standing volunteer legacy.
The incoming 10,000-square-foot facility on the historic Rancho La Loma hilltop will be nearly 40 percent larger, offering modernized technology and expanded study areas. It will anchor a campus that honors the area’s past in new ways, including a youth-painted mural featuring Paul W. Litchfield, local citrus groves, and the hilltop's famous peacocks. It will also feature a memorial plaque for the late Max Wilson, a former county supervisor who helped shape the region.
Though the books are moving on, the original building's story may not be completely over. City Manager Matthew Williams said the city is seeking community input on how to thoughtfully repurpose the historic Wigwam Boulevard structure.
For now, residents have one last week to walk the aisles of the original library, check out a book and say goodbye to a local landmark.
Meet James James Goldmeer joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2024, starting their career as a reporter in Goodyear and Litchfield Park.
Community: James grew up in the West Valley, calling Avondale home and going to school in Glendale and Peoria. Returning to the community after university, James plans to get involved in everything arts and culture, and civil rights.
Education: Northern Arizona University a bachelor's degree in Journalism, a certificate in Professional Communications, with a minor in English.
Random Fact: James spent half a year as an intern for the Arizona House of Representatives communication team, working with legislators to inform the public through press releases and social media.
Hobbies: James collects postcards and old books, reads memoirs and attends local jazz shows.
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