The following article was submitted for inclusion in the 2001 Past Times magazine, but was not used due to space limitations.

The history of the building that houses the Polk County Historical Society museum is detailed by Mrs. Louise Parker.

The Polk County Historical Society was started when a group of concerned Polk County citizens formed a committee in order to preserve the heritage and history of the local area. On June 3, 1974, a charter was obtained for the formation of the Polk County Historical Society and thus has been in operation ever since.

According to Louise Parker, vice president of the Society, the building which now houses the museum narrowly escaped demolition. “There were plans,” she stated, “ to tear down this beautiful building and turn the area into a parking lot.”

Thankfully, for the sake of the Society and the history of Polk County, the building was allowed to remain.

The building, formerly known as the Hawkes Childrens Library, was erected in 1921, and is very historical in itself. It was designed by the distinguished Georgia architect Neel Reid. Many of the most magnificent homes Reid is known for designing are in Buckhead. From classical to Tudor to Georgian, Reid’s buildings reflect the beaux-art tradition and his love of European style.

Parker explains how the building first came about. “A.K. Hawkes, an optometrist from Atlanta, would come into Cedartown by train every few weeks. Mr. Hawkes would set up shop in a drugstore and fit people’s glasses for them. Then, with all the glasses and correct measurements, he would go back to Atlanta and properly size the glasses, then return back to Cedartown and distribute them.

“When Mr. Hawkes died, he left money to build four children’s libraries in small towns and requested that Cedartown be one of the towns- the only requirement being the library has to be named Hawkes Children’s Library”

Parker goes on to explain that the construction of the library almost did not transpire. Hawkes died before World War I started and Cedartown was busy building a new high school. Just as the high school was almost complete, it caught fire and burned. By that time, Parker recalls, World War I had started and Cedartown had no means to begin construction on a library due to the importance of material conservation the war had brought about. Somehow, amidst the war crisis, Mr. J.E. Purks, superintendent of schools, got the funding underway to commence construction of the library. At the time of construction, the City of Cedartown contributed $7,500 towards the building expense, a monetary value matched by that of Hawkes.

Reid’s creation and Hawkes’ dream remained a children’s library for 50 years before making the transition into a museum for the society.

Rare artifacts at the museum include Batiste floor-length dresses that date back to the 1880’s, a handmade music cabinet, a circa 1927 radio, and the Leo the Lion mascot of the old Cedartown High School, which was located on West Avenue.

The mascot, Leo the Lion, stood atop the entrance doorway of the school.

Every year, seniors would lean out of the biology classroom, located right above, and pour paint over the statue, according to museum officials.

Leo was moved to the new high school on Frank Lott Drive, for a short while, before it was donated to the museum.

As of this summer, the museum staff has seen the addition of an intern who will be helping reclassify and redesign some of the exhibits.

In addition to the usual area history displays, the society was chosen to host the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit, “Yesterday’s Tomorrows: Past Visions of the American Future.”

The selection to host the exhibit was one of high honor, as Cedartown was one of only eight of Georgia communities to have this opportunity.

“Yesterday’s Tomorrow’s,” a museum on Main Street Traveling Exhibition, was in operation from April 25 until May 20.