History of Fountain Library
Fountain Library stands on land with a long local history. Its site lies on the old homestead of Amos Terrell, who settled in the area in the 1860s on the prime ground north of the confluence of Fountain Creek and Jimmy Camp Creek. Terrell became the first postmaster in Fountain, establishing what is now the longest-operating post office in El Paso County. He and other early settlers began moving into the region shortly after the founding of Colorado City (now Old Colorado City in Colorado Springs), making Fountain one of the oldest continuously settled communities in the county.
Pikes Peak Library District’s (PPLD) relationship with Fountain began almost immediately after the District came into existence. PPLD officially became a regional library system in January 1964, and within a month it extended regular service to Fountain. New bookmobiles delivered on February 17 began serving Fountain residents on February 29, 1964, making Fountain one of the first communities reached under the new district model at the very moment PPLD transformed from a city library into a countywide system.
Throughout the late 1960s, Fountain and PPLD worked together to secure funding for a future library, combining local contributions with federal construction eligibility and District support—early efforts that showed a shared commitment long before a building materialized.
By the early 1970s, the fruit of that commitment began to take shape. In 1973, Fountain officials proposed including a small library in a new civic building . Construction crept forward, and by 1975 the structure stood as an unfinished shell waiting for additional funds. Regional priorities and limited resources slowed progress, but community interest never faded. By early 1979, those efforts culminated in the opening of Fountain’s first library building—a joint project between PPLD, the City of Fountain, and the El Paso County Department of Community Services.
That first building served Fountain for more than 25 years. By the early 2000s, however, it could no longer meet the needs of a growing city. PPLD strongly pushed for the inclusion of a community room, recognizing that Fountain needed a dedicated program and meeting space. When the PPLD Board of Trustees approved construction of a new, stand-alone Fountain Library in 2004, it simultaneously directed the leadership team staff to present a proposal to Fountain the City to fund that room, ensuring it would be built into the final design. Agreements were finalized in 2005, and construction began soon after.
The new Fountain Library opened in 2006 and immediately reshaped Library service in the southern part of the county. Circulation in June 2006 increased by 114% compared to June 2005—evidence that the larger facility and community room met long-standing needs. As part of preparing the new location for opening, PPLD put out a call for community material related to the 1935 Memorial Day Flood. This material helped form what is now the Library’s News Wall, , ensuring that local history would be part of the building from day one. The News Wall showcases stories from the Fountain Valley’s past and complements the larger history wall at the entrance. Today, Fountain Library continues to serve as a civic and cultural anchor, connecting the community’s long past with its growing present and bright future.