Heginbotham Library
🏢 City of Holyoke · Holyoke, Colorado
Heginbotham Library
Housed in a National Register Craftsman mansion built in 1919 for one of Phillips County's most influential bankers, Heginbotham Library is Holyoke's living landmark — where you can borrow a painting, step into century-old rooms, and connect to 160 Colorado libraries through the AspenCat network.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–6pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–6pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–6pm |
| Thursday | 9am–6pm |
| Friday | 9am–6pm |
| Saturday | 9am–1pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 539 S. Baxter Ave, Holyoke, CO 80734
Phone: (970) 854-2597
Website: heginbotham.colibraries.org
Plus Code: 85GVHMJW+FJ (Holyoke, CO)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Heginbotham Library
Holyoke's Heginbotham Library occupies a stunning 1919–1921 Craftsman-style mansion listed on the National Register of Historic Places — one of the most architecturally distinctive library buildings on the eastern Colorado plains. The library traces its roots to 1923, when women's organizations including the Sorosis Club, PEO Sisterhood, and Mirage Delphians opened a 1,200-book collection above the Phillips County State Bank. When prominent banker and philanthropist Will E. Heginbotham (c. 1878–1968) — who steered the First National Bank of Holyoke through the Great Depression as its president — died without heirs in 1968, he bequeathed his red-brick mansion and a $2.4 million estate in trust for the betterment and improvement of the people of Phillips County. The house became a public library on October 5, 1969, and was renamed in his honor. Today the building's original rooms serve new purposes: the former kitchen houses nonfiction, the breakfast room shelters the children's collection, and the carriage house remains a landmark on a half-city-block of historic gardens.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1988, NRHP #88000170): a Craftsman-bungalow mansion built 1919–1921 with red molded tapestry brick, terra-cotta trim, Spanish tile roof, and hand-carved oak interiors
- Art lending program: patrons can check out original paintings for up to three months (photo ID required) — an unusual service among rural public libraries
- No overdue fines policy — materials can be returned late without penalty
- Bilingual services: Spanish-language adult, teen, and children's collections and bilingual Storytime serve the area's Latino community
- Free service extended to rural western Nebraska residents — the nearest public library for many communities across the state line
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Your Heginbotham Library card connects you to digital collections and 160+ Colorado libraries through the AspenCat consortium and Cloud Library.
📚 Services
- Books, magazines, audiobooks (CD), DVDs, and original paintings for checkout (up to 30 items; paintings 3-month loan with photo ID)
- Three public-access computers (no library card required) with 2-hour time limit
- Free Wi-Fi throughout the building
- Printing ($0.10/pg B&W, $1.00/pg color), photocopying, scanning, and faxing
- Meeting room with laptops and projector (advance booking by phone required)
- Dedicated study areas and Quiet Room
- Homebound delivery service for patrons unable to visit in person
- Courier-based interlibrary loan from 160 AspenCat member libraries across Colorado
- Book donations accepted (books, audiobooks on CD, DVDs in good condition; no magazines, cassettes, encyclopedias over 5 years old)
🎸 Programs
- Storytime — first and third Fridays (September–May) 10:00–10:45am
- Bilingual Storytime — Spanish/English sessions for young children
- Summer Reading Program for children
- Teen Summer Reading Program
- Monthly arts and crafts activities
- Tea Party Book Club
- Old Fashioned Movie Night
- Annual Salad Luncheon and Christmas Extravaganza
📍 Other Colorado Libraries
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the library called Heginbotham, and why is it in a mansion?
Will E. Heginbotham (c. 1878–1968) was president of the First National Bank of Holyoke — the only one of eight Phillips County banks to survive the Great Depression. When he died in 1968 without heirs, he left his 1919–1921 Craftsman mansion and a $2.4 million estate in trust for the betterment and improvement of the people of Phillips County. The City of Holyoke converted the building into a public library, which opened October 5, 1969, and was renamed in his honor.
Can I really borrow a painting from the library?
Yes. Heginbotham Library loans original paintings for up to three months — one of the few public libraries in Colorado to offer an art-lending program. A photocopy of your photo ID is required when borrowing a painting, and the usual 30-item checkout limit applies.
Do I need a library card to use the computers or Wi-Fi?
No card is required for the three public computers (limited to 2 hours per session) or for the free Wi-Fi. To check out books, paintings, DVDs, or other materials, you will need a free library card — bring a valid photo ID showing your current address to register in person.
Is the library open to people who live outside Holyoke or Phillips County?
Yes. The library extends free service to all residents of Phillips County and to rural western Nebraska residents at no charge. Patrons from other Colorado communities can also request items through the AspenCat interlibrary courier network via their local library.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
✎ Notice something out of date? Suggest a correction and we’ll verify and update it.