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Cary Regional Library Rooms Renamed to Honor Town’s Past

Phyllis Coley @phyllis_coley

CARY, NC – Whether you’re attending family storytime, studying solo, or gathering for a book club discussion, you’ll now get a glimpse into the town’s history when you visit Cary Regional Library.

Library programming rooms have been renamed after three influential community members, thanks to a collaboration between Wake County and the Town of Cary.

“I’m pleased that town and county leaders have worked together to honor people who helped make the community what it is today,” said Wake County Commissioner Maria Cervania. “All those who are being honored with library rooms in their names have been great examples of literacy, education, and equity.”

These individuals were selected to correspond with each room in a meaningful way:

  • The Children’s Programming Room is named after Ruth Cathey Fox, who served as the first female principal of Briarcliff Elementary School during desegregation.
  • The Quiet Study is in honor of John William Meadows, a leader in Cary’s African American community who was an educator and circuit preacher. John William Meadows was one of the most prominent people in Cary at the turn of the twentieth century and beyond. He was born in Granville County in the 1800s, but his birthdate is unknown. He spent most of his life in Cary. He went to college, completed a master’s and a doctorate in theology, and then spent his dual careers as a full-time educator and a full-time minister. He was probably in his mid-twenties when he began teaching at the Cary Colored School in 1900 and continued for the next 35 years, then he retired in his sixties. He was a leader in the Christian church and Lincoln Conference as well. When not teaching, he was traveling around preaching at many of the churches in the Lincoln Conference including in Cary. His house was right around the corner and up the street from the school. He died in 1954.
  • Finally, the Adult Programming Room is named in honor of Walter Hines Page, a United States ambassador to the United Kingdom and a partner of major book publisher Doubleday, Page & Company.

“The Cary Regional Library is the perfect venue to honor the contributions of these individuals to reading and education in Cary,” said Cary Council Member Ed Yerha. “This is an enduring tribute to Cary history and another excellent partnership with Wake County.”

Library visitors will find brief biographies of these honorees on plaques outside of each room.

The Cary Regional Library, located at 315 Kildaire Farm Road, opened in November 2019. The 23,450-square-foot library holds 90,000 books and features a view of Downtown Cary Park. You can visit from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 1 – 5 p.m. Sunday.