Staff writer

bmiller@observer-reporter.com

It may be called the law library, but it's not for lawyers only.

The Washington County Law Library, turning 140 years old this month, was established by an act of the state Legislature authorizing the county commissioners to spend $1,500 on books and shelving to hold them.

A framed copy of that long-ago act of the Legislature bears a frayed, narrow red ribbon and bright yellow seal of the secretary of the Commonwealth.

Shrouded in the mystery of history is why the state Legislature was compelled to step into what would seem to be a local matter.

Nancy Weiss, Washington County law librarian, speculated that the wording of "fines, forfeitures, penalties and amercements, not payable to the commonwealth, or the first moneys which may reach the treasury from any of the said sources," may have had something to do with it.

It seems that the Washington County bench had no law library of its own.

"It got awkward for the court to have to borrow books from attorneys," said Weiss, who has been law librarian at the courthouse since 2001 after 26 years in reference at Citizens Library.

There's no record of what the bookcases may have cost, but the law library retains correspondence regarding the 300-plus volumes purchased from T.&Y.W. Johnson Co. of Philadelphia, who came in under budget at $1,455 for the initial shipment on April 24, 1867.

The law library's resources have grown since then, occupying several sites at the previous courthouse and the present one before moving into 2,148 square feet in the northwest corner of the courthouse basement.

Lest the uninitiated equate basement with dreary, that's simply not the case. Because of the steep slope of West Beau Street, the law library has spacious windows that encourage geraniums to bloom months before the weather outdoors would allow.

It's not known if the public had access to the original law library, but that's certainly the case today, when it's annual budget runs about $189,000.

Family law - also known as divorce and child custody - landlord-tenant disputes and appeal of district judge decisions are among the most common inquiries the law library staff of Weiss and her assistant, Pat Stavovy, field from the public.

"It can be overwhelming to do you own research, but some people just can't afford it or won't afford it," said Weiss, who is impressed by the diligence of laypeople who use the law library.

"I don't know how they fare once they get in front of a judge, but they've given it their best shot."

For those who might not be interested in case law, the library also maintains a small collection of resources for genealogists and local historians.

The law library is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is marking its 140th anniversary with a public reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, as part of National Library Week, in the Washington County Courthouse. Anyone who needs more information can call the library at 724-228-6747.

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