Renovated Edgar Allen Poe/Sullivan’s Island library to reopen Tuesday

SULLIVAN’S ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held Tuesday morning for the renovated Edgar Allen Poe/Sullivan’s Island Library.

The Poe Library closed for refurbishment in August 2024 to undergo an interior refresh. Upgrades to the branch include new paint and furniture, refreshed bathrooms with new flooring, upgraded IT systems, and improvements to the HVAC and electrical systems.

Charleston County Public Library officials said the refurbishment is part of the ongoing $108.5 million referendum-funded project, which was passed by Charleston County voters in 2014 to build five new libraries and renovate all existing branches.

The Poe Library’s location is unique. It has been housed in Battery Gadsden, a former Spanish-American War four-gun battery, since March 1977. Library officials say the battery’s walls are two feet thick, offering plenty of protection for the 15,000 books in the 2,000-square-foot library.

It is named after author Edgar Allen Poe, who was stationed on Sullivan’s Island as a private in the U.S. Army in 1827 and 1828.

Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony will get underway at 9 a.m. Speakers from the library, Charleston County government, and elected officials are expected to speak.

Library patrons can then meet staff members, explore the branch, and take pictures with CCPL mascot, Owlbert.