Thorntown Public Library
🏢 Evergreen Indiana · Thorntown, Indiana
Thorntown Public Library
Built in 1914 with a $10,000 Carnegie grant and listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1986, the Thorntown Public Library anchors Market Street in northwestern Boone County. The one-story brown-brick Carnegie building — designed by architect Wilson B. Parker with a red clay tile roof and round-arched limestone entrance — was expanded in 2004 and stays open until 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday for working families.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–6pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–8pm |
| Thursday | 9am–8pm |
| Friday | 9am–6pm |
| Saturday | 10am–4pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 124 North Market Street, Thorntown, IN 46071
Phone: (765) 436-7348
Website: thorntownpl.org
Plus Code: 86GM49HV+RF (Thorntown, IN)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Thorntown Public Library
The Thorntown Public Library traces its roots to the early 1900s when school superintendent Frank E. Long began a small reading collection in his office and pushed to make it public. Long applied to the Carnegie Corporation in 1912, and after Sugar Creek Township joined the effort and raised the maintenance fund, Carnegie granted $10,000 — enough to erect the handsome brown-brick building that opened in 1914–1915. Architect Wilson B. Parker gave it a red clay tile hipped roof, a round-arched entrance and limestone trim; the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. A major expansion completed in 2004 more than doubled the usable space. Today the library serves residents of Sugar Creek, Jefferson, and Washington Townships and belongs to Evergreen Indiana, a consortium of over 125 libraries, so a Thorntown card works at member libraries statewide. It also manages the Thorntown Heritage Museum and hosts a Barn Quilt Project celebrating the agricultural heritage of Boone County.
⭐ What makes this library special
- 1914 Carnegie library designed by Wilson B. Parker — listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1986
- Serves Sugar Creek, Jefferson, and Washington Townships in northwestern Boone County
- Part of Evergreen Indiana, a shared catalog of 125+ Indiana public libraries
- Stewards the Thorntown Heritage Museum and the Boone County Barn Quilt Project
- Two free notaries public on staff; open until 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Thorntown cardholders can download, stream, and research free through Indiana's statewide and consortium collections:
📚 Services
- Two free notary publics on staff (call ahead to confirm availability)
- Public computers with Microsoft Office plus two laptops for checkout
- Free Wi-Fi throughout the building and parking area
- Printing, copying (black & white and color), faxing and scanning
- Wireless hotspot checkout (one per household, one-week loan)
- Interlibrary loan via Evergreen Indiana courier (Mon–Fri, no charge)
- Meeting room reservations for community and non-profit groups
- Equipment lending: DVD players, LCD and slide projectors, projection screens
- Disc repair for CDs, DVDs and game discs
🎸 Programs
- Dolly Parton's Imagination Library — free books mailed monthly to children birth–age 5
- CICOA senior lunch program, Monday–Friday 11:30 a.m.
- Community bingo, book discussions and euchre nights
- Summer reading program for children and teens
- Youth and adult programming throughout the year
📍 Nearby Libraries in Boone County & Central Indiana
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Thorntown Public Library a Carnegie library, and is the building historic?
Yes. The library was built in 1914–1915 with a $10,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie's foundation, making it one of Indiana's Carnegie libraries. Architect Wilson B. Parker designed the one-story brown-brick building with a red clay tile hipped roof and a round-arched limestone entrance. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 and expanded in 2004 to meet growing demand.
Which townships does the Thorntown Public Library serve, and can I use my card at other Indiana libraries?
The library's district covers Sugar Creek, Jefferson, and Washington Townships in the northwestern corner of Boone County. Because Thorntown belongs to Evergreen Indiana — a consortium of over 125 public libraries — cardholders can borrow from and return items to any Evergreen member library across the state, and all holds can be placed online through the shared catalog.
Does the Thorntown Public Library offer notary services?
Yes. Two notaries public are available at the library free of charge. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID and call ahead at (765) 436-7348 to confirm a notary will be on duty when you arrive.
What is the Thorntown Heritage Museum, and is it connected to the library?
The Thorntown Heritage Museum is a local history museum operated in connection with the library, celebrating the pioneer and agricultural heritage of Sugar Creek Township and Boone County. The library also oversees the Boone County Barn Quilt Project, a driving tour of decorative quilt-pattern panels painted on local barns.
🎨 This library lends museum passes. See how library museum passes work and find other libraries that lend passes museum passes by state.
📋 This library offers notary services. See what a library notary can do — what to bring, fees and appointments — and find other libraries with a notary notary services by state.
🧰 This library lends a “Library of Things.” See what you can borrow besides books and find other libraries with a Library of Things Library of Things by state.
🖨 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.
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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.