Surles, W.R. Memorial Library
Why it's listed
Proctorville, a small farming town in Robeson County, North Carolina, is home to a diminutive brick library measuring twenty feet by thirty feet. Built by T. A. Nye and Sons of Fairmont and completed in 1951, it is finished in the Colonial Revival style, with a pedimented portico, a six-panel door, double-hung windows and a small louvered cupola. Inside, shelves line the side and rear walls of the main room, and the walls are finished in pine boards. The library was made possible by Willis R. Surles, a former teacher and county school superintendent, who gave a lot and left $2,000 in his will. It replaced a smaller library he had donated in the 1930s. The R. C. Lawrence Book Club, organized in 1939, ran it as a private lending library. During the 1950s it was the only library open to the general public in southeastern Robeson County, giving rural families access to books outside the schools. It is still in use.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the library is locally significant under Criterion A for education. During the 1950s it was the only library open to the general public in southeastern Robeson County. It was privately run by the R. C. Lawrence Book Club and funded through a gift and bequest from local businessman Willis R. Surles, and it succeeded a mid-1930s library in the town.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 09000725, listed September 16, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 105 W. Main St., Proctorville |
|---|---|
| County | Robeson County |
| Listed | September 16, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000725 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1951-1959 |
| Architect / builder | T.A. Nye and Sons, Builder |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The library continues to serve the community and is described as well maintained by the R. C. Lawrence Book Club. |
| Acreage | 7 |
| Coordinates | 34.47646, -79.03749 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 09000725.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q24436267
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.