Washington County Free Library
🏢 Alice Virginia & David W. Fletcher Branch · Hagerstown, Maryland
Washington County Free Library
Founded in 1901 as one of the first county libraries in the United States, the Washington County Free Library is the birthplace of the American bookmobile — Mary Titcomb sent her horse-drawn book wagon into the countryside here in 1905. Its main Fletcher Branch at 100 South Potomac Street in downtown Hagerstown stays open until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–8pm |
| Thursday | 9am–8pm |
| Friday | 9am–6pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5pm |
| Sunday | 1pm–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 100 South Potomac Street, Hagerstown, MD 21740
Phone: (301) 739-3250
Website: washcolibrary.org
Plus Code: 87F4J7RH+6G (Hagerstown, MD)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📍 Plan your visit
🚉 Getting there
100 S Potomac St, Hagerstown, MD 21740. Get transit & driving directions → (live subway, bus & car routes).
🚘 Parking
Free parking lot, paid parking lot nearby.
♿ Accessibility
Includes wheelchair-accessible entrance, accessible parking.
🛀 Amenities
Baby changing table.
⭐ Visitor rating
4.6 / 5 from 257 Google reviews.
🕑 Best time to go
Usually calmest soon after opening; busiest around 11 am.
Visit details from the library’s Google Business Profile, verified October 2026 — confirm on official page before a special-date trip.
📖 About Washington County Free Library
The Washington County Free Library is the county library system for Washington County, Maryland, headquartered at the Alice Virginia & David W. Fletcher Branch in downtown Hagerstown. Established in 1901, it was one of the earliest county-wide free libraries in the country, and in 1905 its librarian Mary Lemist Titcomb launched what is widely recognized as the first library bookmobile in the United States — a horse-drawn "book wagon" that carried books to rural residents, coining the idea that "the book goes to the man, not waiting for the man to come to the book." Today the system serves the whole county from the Fletcher Branch plus seven community branches in Boonsboro, Clear Spring, Hancock, Keedysville, Sharpsburg, Smithsburg and Williamsport, a modern bookmobile, and 24/7 pickup lockers at North Pointe and South Pointe. A single library card borrows across every branch and unlocks a large shared catalog and Maryland's statewide digital collections.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Home of the first library bookmobile in the U.S. — Mary Titcomb's 1905 horse-drawn book wagon began here and the tradition continues with a modern bookmobile today
- Founded in 1901 as one of the earliest county-wide free libraries in the United States
- Main Fletcher Branch anchors a system of eight locations plus a bookmobile across Washington County
- 24/7 self-service pickup lockers at North Pointe and South Pointe in Hagerstown for after-hours holds
- Open until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with weekend hours on Saturday and Sunday afternoons
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
A Washington County Free Library card streams, downloads and researches free through these collections:
📚 Services
- Free 24/7 holds pickup lockers at North Pointe and South Pointe (Hagerstown)
- Public computers, free Wi-Fi and wireless printing
- Meeting rooms and study space
- Interlibrary loan across Maryland
- Small-business and job-seeker resource help
- Bookmobile service to communities across Washington County
🎸 Programs
- Summer Reading Club
- Children's storytimes and StoryWalks
- Book clubs for adults
- The McCauley Lecture Series
- Year-round programs for all ages
📍 Nearby Libraries in Western & Central Maryland
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Hagerstown · Browse all Maryland libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How old is the Washington County Free Library?
The library first opened to the public on August 27, 1901 and is recognized as one of the earliest county-wide library systems in the United States. Its original flagship was a Neo-Georgian stone building designed by architect Bruce Price on Summit Avenue in Hagerstown.
Where can I research local and Western Maryland history?
The John Clinton Frye Western Maryland Room, on the 3rd floor of the Fletcher Branch, was established in 1968 and holds roughly 10,000 books plus over 400 cubic feet of archival material — maps, newspapers, photographs, manuscripts and a large Civil War and genealogy collection covering the Cumberland and Shenandoah Valleys.
Is the Washington County Free Library really where the bookmobile was invented?
Yes. In 1905 the library's first head librarian, Mary Lemist Titcomb, sent a horse-drawn "book wagon" out from Hagerstown to reach rural residents — widely recognized as the first library bookmobile in the United States. The library still runs a modern bookmobile today, continuing a service that began here more than a century ago.
Which building is the main library, and where is it?
The main library is the Alice Virginia & David W. Fletcher Branch at 100 South Potomac Street in downtown Hagerstown, MD 21740. It houses the system's largest collection and serves as headquarters for the county library; phone (301) 739-3250.
When is the Fletcher Branch open?
The main Fletcher Branch is open Monday through Thursday 9 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.–5 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m.–5 p.m. Community branch hours vary, so check the branch page before visiting a smaller location.
Can I pick up my holds when the library is closed?
Yes. The library operates 24/7 self-service pickup lockers at North Pointe (18745 North Pointe Dr.) and South Pointe (222 East Oak Ridge Dr.) in Hagerstown, so you can collect reserved items outside normal branch hours.
🖨 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.
📅 This library has meeting & community rooms. See how library meeting rooms work — booking, policies and fees — and find other libraries with meeting or community rooms meeting rooms by state.
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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.