Dallas Library Dedication of Attorney Hubert and Naomi Corley Holland Reading Garden

Submitted by: Library Services Coordinator, Cherry B. Waddell

During the 1980’s Attorney Hubert and Naomi Corley Holland initiated a library donation project offering the public an opportunity to memorialize or honor someone of their choice for a donation of $1000 or more to the Paulding County Library. In turn the library planted a Bradford Pear tree on the slope in front of the library parking lot and included an engraved granite marker placed at the base of each tree. There were 18 Bradford Pear trees planted during this project. A few of the trees were Cherry trees because there was an issue with availability of Bradford Pear trees from the vendor at that time. Over the years these trees had become overgrown and created a safety issue as well as an obstacle to the original intent of recognizing the honorees and donors. The shade created by the trees prevented grass from growing in that area creating a rough terrain and presented a challenge for patrons to walk through the trees to appreciate the reverence of the original intent.
In 2015 all of the donors, honorees or their living descendants including Mrs. Naomi Holland were contacted and asked for permission to remove the trees and replace them with a Memorial Monument containing the relocated granite markers. The idea was well received by all that were a part of the original project and with those approvals construction was begun in the Summer of 2015. In order to offset the cost of the Reading Garden, Library Coordinator Cherry Waddell and the Paulding County Library Branch Managers launched a fund raising campaign offering the public an opportunity to purchase a patio brick paver engraved to honor or memorialize someone of their choice. Thanks to the many donors whose messages are permanently present on the brick paver floor of the Garden. The monument is a curved brick wall incorporating the original granite markers near the base of the slope with a brick paver patio in front of the curved monument flanked with a reading bench on each end of the curve. One of the Reading Benches was sponsored by The Dallas Woman’s Club in Memory of Mrs. Maybelle McGarity and the other bench was co-sponsored by Stevan and Linda Crew, KL & Sons Installations, Hardy Automotive and The Friends of the Dallas Library. The area surrounding the Reading Garden has been tastefully and simply landscaped to create a pleasing environment for patrons to sit and read.
And as an added benefit the removal of the trees is one of the steps we have taken to comply with one of the components of the West Georgia Regional Library System’s 2013 adopted Strategic Plan to improve the visibility of all 18 libraries in the Region of which Dallas Library is one. On Thursday, June 4, 2016 the Reading Garden was officially dedicated as The Hubert and Naomi Holland Reading Garden to the memory of Attorney Hubert Holland and in honor of his widow, Mrs. Naomi Corley Holland who was present for the dedication (pictured with Paulding County Commission Chairman, David Austin). Mr. and Mrs. Holland have been most generous to many organizations in Paulding County including the Paulding County Library System raising almost $20,000 for the Bradford Pear Tree project. In addition the Hollands established 2 separate Trust Funds for the benefit of the Paulding County Library now The Dallas Library. These Trust funds provide an income stream to the library for perpetuity.
The fundraising project started by the Hollands continues with the ongoing opportunity for the public to purchase a brick with their engraved message. If you would like to contribute to and become a part of the ongoing fundraising project initiated by the Hollands complete the attached Donation Form and follow the instructions for submittal.
On behalf of the Paulding County Library Services, we thank you so much Mrs. Naomi Holland!

Photo: Naomi Holland & David Austin