Pontiac Free Library
🏢 Warwick Public Library · WARWICK, Rhode Island
Pontiac Free Library
The Pontiac Free Library Association has served the historic Pontiac mill village since 1884, carrying the community's reading tradition from the era of Fruit of the Loom's founding into a present-day neighborhood branch with Saturday hours and a welcoming, independent spirit.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Wednesday | Closed |
| Thursday | 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM |
| Friday | 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM |
| Saturday | 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays.
📍 Location & Contact
Address: 101 GREENWICH AVENUE, WARWICK, RI 02886
Phone: 4017373292
Website: warwicklibrary.org
📖 About Pontiac Free Library
<p>Founded in 1884 by local residents and supported by the Knight family — owners of the nearby Pontiac Mills, where the original Fruit of the Loom textiles were manufactured — the Pontiac Free Library Association is one of Rhode Island's oldest continuously operating community libraries. The current brick building at 101 Greenwich Avenue opened on February 10, 1957, funded through a trust established in 1943. Today the library operates as part of the Ocean State Libraries consortium, offering the full shared catalog alongside its own curated local collection, curbside pickup, youth story time, and a weekend Saturday session. The building anchors the quiet residential grid of Pontiac village, a neighborhood whose industrial past is preserved nearby in the National Register–listed Pontiac Mills complex, now converted to Pontiac Lofts.</p>
⭐ What makes this branch special
- Founded 1884 in the historic Pontiac mill village — one of RI's oldest community libraries
- Current brick building opened February 10, 1957
- Supported historically by the Knight family, founders of the Fruit of the Loom brand at Pontiac Mills
- Saturday hours (10 AM – 3 PM) and Monday & Thursday evenings until 7 PM
- Member of Ocean State Libraries consortium — curbside pickup, shared catalog, digital resources
📱 Free with a Warwick Public Library Card
Your free Warwick Public Library card unlocks digital content from hoopla, the statewide Ocean State Libraries eZone, Kanopy streaming films, and Flipster digital magazines:
📍 More Warwick Public Library branches
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Pontiac Free Library part of the Warwick Public Library system?
The Pontiac Free Library Association is an independent nonprofit library that serves Warwick's Pontiac village. It is a member of the Ocean State Libraries (OSLRI) consortium, the same shared catalog network used by Warwick Public Library, so patrons can request items across member libraries and use the same digital resources.
What are the Pontiac Free Library's evening hours?
The library is open Monday and Thursday evenings until 7:00 PM (1 PM – 7 PM). It also has morning hours on Tuesday (10 AM – 5 PM), Friday afternoons (1–5 PM), and Saturday mornings (10 AM – 3 PM). It is closed Wednesday and Sunday.
What is the connection between the Pontiac Free Library and the Pontiac Mills?
The library was founded in 1884 in the Pontiac mill village, with early support from the Knight family who owned the nearby Pontiac Mills — the original factory where Fruit of the Loom goods were manufactured. The historic mill complex on Knight Street, closed in 1970 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, was later converted to Pontiac Lofts apartments, and the library continues to serve the surrounding neighborhood.
✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.