Throughout the month of November, the City of Brentwood wants to hear from
you about how the library should spend more than $1 million dollars. In 2017, the John P. Holt Brentwood Library received a gift of $4.2 million dollars from the estate of Mrs. O’Delle Holt, a longtime Brentwood resident, in honor of her late husband John. To accept the donated funds, the library’s name was officially changed to the John P. Holt Brentwood
Library.
The Brentwood City Commission established an endowment to keep 75% of the total funds for future use. The remaining approximately $1 million of the funds are available now to benefit the Library. “There are more than 27,000 patrons of the library, so we hope to hear from as many as possible,” said Susan Earl, Library Director.
The online survey has been emailed to residents, posted to the City of Brentwood and the Brentwood Library Facebook pages, and can also be picked up via paper copy at the Library Circulation Desk, or at City Hall. Per the terms of the bequest, the Holt funds must be used to enhance the facilities, grounds, or services of the Library. The survey asks residents to prioritize those. Survey responses will be collected through November 30th.
Holt Family History
John Page Holt was born in 1890 and later married O’Delle Kelly, of Waco, Texas. They lived in the historic log home on the property on Crockett Road for a while, then later built and lived in another home. Mrs. Holt was a teacher at Lipscomb Elementary School. Mr. and Mrs. Holt had no children, but Mr. Holt’s nephew, Charles Witherspoon, Jr., lived with them. Mr. Witherspoon lived on the property from the time he was two years old. He became a teacher and musician and served as the organist at Brentwood United Methodist Church for 43 years.
