Old Jail/Library

The historic Weldon jail, located at 6 West Third St., was built in 1893. Initially it served as a Town Hall and jail. From 1924 until the late 1970s the building housed the public library before the library was moved to the current location in the old train depot on First Street. Many current and former residents have fond memories of checking out books from this little building.

The building is distinguished by its front gable roof which is echoed in a projecting vestibule. There is no record that we know of that speaks to the original color of the building. Our initial color research with the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office showed that white was the most expensive paint color when the building was erected, which made it an unlikely choice for a small-town budget. Subsequently from our research, we chose from a darker shade from a palate of historic colors. The lozenge-shaped louvered vents in the roof gables are a lighter shade of the gray used for the building itself. The window mullions are painted white as was the custom in the 1890s. Another choice was to leave the front yard areas bare so as not to detract from the building itself, also common when the building was erected. In the near future, we will add a door to the vestibule to reinforce its function as a jail.

The Town of Weldon is considering an appropriate use for the interior of the building and bring it back to life. What are your thoughts? Email us!