Back in the day, if the people of Fairbanks needed some book or publication, they will have to go to the St. Matthew’s Church reading room. In time, the amount of the people using the place multiplied, probing the space inadequate for the amount of people who need to use it. This is when George C. Thomas, a Philadelphia banker and Episcopal layman, stepped in and helped the locals build a library. This is the start of the George C. Thomas Memorial Library, in commemoration of the man’s generosity.

The George C. Thomas Library was used as such for 68 years, until 1977, when the collections were moved to the Noel Wien Library. After this, the historic building was used as a business space. Recently, however, it was purchased by an Alaskan entrepreneur who plans to turn it into a mining library.