By Julie Schlesselman, Local History & Genealogy Department Manager, FCPLD This article ran in the March 30, 2022, edition of the Brookville American and in Volume 3 of Forgotten Franklin County. When people remodel their homes they find all kinds of interesting and unusual things – old newspapers in the walls (which were typically used for insulation), jewelry that slipped between the floor boards, “mud bricks” behind walls that were created…
News
LEGO Expo Returns April 18!
Calling all LEGO enthusiasts! Our LEGO Expo returns to Brookville Library on April 18 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Come see the LEGO builds, watch a LEGO movie, test out your LEGO knowledge with trivia, and vote on your favorite creative builds! For those who would like to participate in the expo: LEGO builds should be dropped off at Brookville Library from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on April…
Sign up for Stop Motion Animation Classes
Bring your ideas to life—one frame at a time! Join us each week to learn the basics of stop-motion animation using simple props, LEGO, clay, paper cutouts, and more. Work solo or with a team to storyboard, film, and edit a short movie you can share. No experience needed—just imagination! Classes begin on March 26 at Brookville Library at 4:30 p.m. and will continue every Thursday. Call the library to…
Birchill
By Julie Schlesselman, Local History & Genealogy Department Manager, FCPLD This article ran in the January 20, 2021, edition of the Brookville American and in Volume 2 of Forgotten Franklin County. ….one of Franklin County’s showplaces and one of the most beautifully landscaped little gems in the town of Brookville. But that was more than half a century ago. This historic home sat unnoticed for at least the entire part…
“No Finer Home on Wheels”
By Julie Schlesselman, Local History & Genealogy Department Manager, FCPLD This article ran in the January 13, 2021, edition of the Brookville American, and in Volume 2 of Forgotten Franklin County. ….was just one of the advertising slogans for the luxury trailer coaches made right here in Brookville. Our county was once known for its abundance of manufacturing endeavors and production of numerous consumer goods. In the past, Franklin County…
Do You Have an “A.F.&S.” Brick?
By Julie Schlesselman, Local History & Genealogy Department Manager, FCPLD This article ran in the October 23, 2019, edition of the Brookville American. …almost everyone in Brookville does. The “A.F.&S.” stamped in the center of the bricks stood for Anthony Fries and Sons. Anthony Fries was born in Germany in 1835. He came to the United States in 1853 and ended up in Franklin County by 1864. Anthony was originally…
Glenn English: Doctor to the Stars, and Silver Star Recipient
By Julie Schlesselman, Local History & Genealogy Department Manager, FCPLD This article ran in the January 15, 2020, edition of the Brookville American. Glenn English died in California in 1951. He was born in Midland, Ohio, in 1898, but called Franklin County his home for many years and spent the majority of his formative years in Brookville. After he graduated from Brookville High School in 1916, he attended Indiana State…
Disney Party at the Library!
Dress up as your favorite Disney character, read a few books, and get your free kids ticket to Disney on Ice all at the library! Join us at Laurel Library on March 3 at 5 p.m. and March 5 at Brookville Library at 5 p.m. for a Disney party featuring a light costume parade, some crafts, and a snack. We will also have free kids tickets to Disney on Ice…
Dr. Maguire
By Julie Schlesselman, Local History & Genealogy Department Manager, FCPLD This article ran in the March 15, 2025, edition of the Brookville American. This image of Dr. Maguire’s house, cropped from a larger view, was just too intriguing to overlook. Who was Dr. Maguire, where was this house, and what happened to it? The image is in the Metamora Oral History Project collection, which is now in the Brookville Library’s…
Once Upon a Time
By Julie Schlesselman, Local History & Genealogy Department Manager, FCPLD This article ran in the May 18, 2022, edition of the Brookville American. I was a beautiful house – one of the most regal and unique in our entire county. I was a showplace in Laurel, and that’s saying a lot because at one time, the town of Laurel had some of the most lavish and ornate homes around. Laurel…