The brand new panel desired to promote the building and you may possessions, but they have been being unsure of of its court authority to take action
The new branch perform consistently jobs for most even more years, but by the later 1950s they had outlived their convenience, and not just whilst is a relic off Jim crow. The newest branch in the course of time failed to perish because is an offending physical note from segregation days, nor are its death caused by not enough fool around with. On the country’s 16th biggest area, the fresh new department just sat regarding the street from a major street extension. It actually was Houston’s visitors state that provided brand new board to market the structure as well as the visitors to-tear it down. Gran Lewis Cutrer’s work environment informed librarian Reynolds during summer out of 1959 that Clay Avenue Extension project perform start in December. This new expansion of a single from the downtown area Houston’s 
head arteries create violation from site of your own collection. The structure would need to getting moved otherwise dissolved on fall. An attorney in the city’s judge service believed that in case the strengthening was in fact no more put because the a library, it could need to revert into the ownership of trustees of your own Coloured Carnegie Library Connection. Reynolds looked the metropolis index and discovered that simply a couple of the initial trustees, W. L. D. Johnson and you will L. H. Spivey, was indeed indexed. She together with appeared the fresh new deed and discovered no reversion condition but merely the latest stipulation that the possessions are “to the have fun with and you can benefit of coloured individuals of Houston.” Reynolds questioned the fresh new board to look at the problem regarding simple tips to serve black colored subscribers once the part signed. Mice Stewart, supervisor from expansion properties, reported that the fresh used bookmobile, referred to as Traveling Part to have Negroes, needed to be changed. (17)
The three participants establish introduced a motion to implement Easterling’s recommendations, while the five players maybe not present consented by cell
A short time pursuing the appointment, Reynolds accompanied with a page to Charles Easterling throughout the city’s courtroom company. She relayed particular a couple dozen questions on board’s talk of the latest future of Colored Carnegie Part. Among their secret concerns was basically the collection might possibly be paid toward death of the house, as well as how one payment could be put on most other library functions. The newest trustees questioned how broadly they might understand the definition of “on play with and you will benefit of colored anybody.” They questioned, for example, whether they you will create a different part someplace else to be used by whites and blacks nevertheless follow this new soul away from a great stipulation created when the avoid of domestic segregation are no place inside the sight. However they expected how they would offer comparable solution so you can blacks just like the department appointed for their have fun with is went. It indicated a want to generate another department during the a mostly black colored society in exchange for the loss of the new Colored Carnegie Department, but because capital getting for example a job wasn’t throughout the library’s budget, it questioned concerning odds of providing even more bookmobile solution or from renting area for the stuff. Finally, it requested, “Usually death of major branch to own Negroes apply to de-segregation out of collection?” (18) Half dozen age immediately following token integration of central library, the latest panel knew the fresh implication regarding closing brand new black colored branch. It would no longer act as an effective way to siphon from black library users in an effort to have them off the brand new bodies most other structures.
30 days afterwards about three board members found and you may heard the metropolis attorney’s verification there is actually no reversionary condition throughout the action however, that the library needed to comply with the new “towards have fun with and you may advantageous asset of the fresh new coloured someone” covenant. Easterling recommended them to query the newest gran and you will town council having complete compensation for the loss of this building and property and you may complete authority to utilize you to definitely compensation as they saw fit, from inside the bounds of one’s covenant. They certainly were calculated to locate the full property value the actual property lower than its authority and retain control of expending they. (19) Of the August panel users had going sharing where predominately black colored society they want to situate a separate part. They incorporated brand new advised department together with other twigs, work on established buildings, and you can design out of a memory space facility within the a beneficial four-seasons financing improve package. (20) A bond election for library extension passed from inside the Sep. When you look at the Oct Reynolds claimed toward board the availability of $312,000 inside the library ties and something potential $550,100 whenever the collection ties got marketed. She along with reported that the metropolis do offer the fresh new library $52,335 to pay on Colored Branch. (21)