'Books, Bricks & Butterflies': Preserving the Past, Building a Future ThroughLiteracy

By Tyler Osborn

Guest Writer

This September, the Towns County Historical Society is bringing together local history, literacy, and two women whose legacies share a common thread: a belief in the power of education.

Through the “Books, Bricks & Butterflies” campaign, 25% of every donation made during September to the restoration of the historic Berrong-Oakley House will be donated to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, helping provide free, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five. This program is available to those in Towns County, and over 200 people are enrolled in the program locally.

With a nod to one of Dolly Parton’s most recognizable songs, the Historical Society is calling the month-long effort “9–25 for literacy”.

The partnership draws a connection between Parton’s well-known commitment to childhood

literacy and Maggie Berrong, one of the original residents of the Berrong-Oakley House, whose

own life was marked by a commitment to education and combating illiteracy in her community and leading the illiteracy campaign for the county following WWI.

“Although Maggie Berrong and Dolly Parton lived in different times, they shared a belief that education could change lives,” said Tyler Osborn, president of the Towns County Historical Society. “We wanted to find a way to honor Maggie’s legacy while supporting a program that is carrying that same mission forward for children in our community today.”

Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995 in her home county in East Tennessee. The program has since grown internationally, mailing books directly to young children each month at no cost to their families. Locally, the program currently impacts over 200 children in Towns County.

At the same time, the Historical Society is undertaking the restoration of the Berrong-Oakley House, a 1905 Queen Anne home in Hiawassee. Once completed, the house is planned to serve the community as a heritage and cultural center and gathering space.

The restoration itself has become a community effort. Much of the funding has been raised through grassroots donations and fundraising, while local volunteers have contributed a significant amount of the work completed on the property so far.

During September, every donation will therefore have a dual purpose: 75% will continue supporting the restoration of the Berrong-Oakley House, while 25% will help put books into the hands of children through the Imagination Library.

“We often talk about historic preservation as investing in the past, but it is really an investment in the future,” Osborn said. “With 9–25, one donation can help preserve a piece of our community’s history while also giving a child the opportunity to begin building a lifelong love of reading.”

The Historical Society hopes the campaign will introduce more people not only to the restoration project, but also to Maggie Berrong and the educational legacy associated with the home.

Two women. One goal. Education.

Donations to the Books, Bricks & Butterflies 9–25 campaign can be made throughout September at townscountyhistory.org/boh or by mail to Towns County Historical Society, PO Box 1182,

Hiawassee, GA 30546.