In a little more than 10 years, the Lambsburg Community Center turned into a social, recreational, physical and education mainstay in southern Carroll County.

At one time or another, the Center has hosted GED and computer classes, youth soccer, cruise-ins, jam sessions, dinners and more. The Center is a hub of activity in Lambsburg and offers something for the citizens below the mountain.

The Community Center was incorporated in 1998 as the Lambsburg School Community Complex, but really took off in 2007, when its expanded Board of Directors saw the opportunity to do many great things with the old Lambsburg School, which was closed in 1993.

For the first order of business, representatives of the Center asked for help from the Carroll County Board of Supervisors, which saw fit to allocate $24,000 to help pay for roof improvements. Since then, the county has provided $6,000 annually to Lambsburg; the same amount it gives to the county’s other community centers. The Community Center is also a Twin County United Way agency and receives funds through it, as well.

Lambsburg Community Center Board of Directors Chairman Phillip Berrier said getting the roof squared away was critical in mapping out the future of the Center.

“Without the roof, we couldn’t have done anything,” Berrier said in the Community Center’s restored library. “We had to have it dry. This place was in shambles; the ceilings were falling through. We had all the ceilings redone; these ladies have painted and restored this room, put down carpet. In most rooms, all the ceilings are redone.”

The library is one of the crown jewels in the improvements at Lambsburg. Fully carpeted, freshly painted and stocked with more than 3,000 books, the library will soon be open to the public.

“We want to get it open and get it functional for the community to come use,” said Christine Lyons, who was once librarian in Lambsburg when the school was open.

Lyons said the books — which have come via donation — are almost completely cataloged, and there’s always room for more.

“Hopefully, the books we can get from here on out can be new volumes we can get to supplement what we have here,” she said. “Most of what we have now have been donated.”

In addition, it’s hoped that a few computers can be obtained and set up for public Internet usage. Volunteers are exploring Internet Service Provider options and hope to have WiFi set up shortly.

“We have to get Internet service into this building first,” said Guy Clark. “Once we do that, we can have Internet in the library and have a WiFi coffee shop-type thing if we want to. We hope to have four or five computers at least so people can come in and do email and look up things and do research.”

Clark said in addition to computers and such, the library could really use a few more bookshelves, as there are more books than available space on the current shelves.

“One of the things we’re really in need of is bookshelves,” Clark said. “We don’t have enough bookshelves for the books we have. The options are to buy ready-made bookshelves or have someone make us bookshelves. If somebody wants to donate the time to make bookshelves, it would be nice.”

Berrier, who served as principal at the school from 1967 to 1981, said in January, college courses, offered through Foothills Christian College in North Wilkesboro, N.C., will begin being offered in Lambsburg. If the initial 15-week course is a success, Berrier said more could be coming soon.

“On down the road, we could have general education courses, English, Math, whatever you need, that would be transferable to another institution of higher learning once they’re accredited,” Berrier said. “I’ve had much interest in this. I sent flyers out to pastors and deacons at a lot of churches.”

In the nearer future, the Community Center will host an indoor gun show and flea market on Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. It’s one of many fund-raising projects held throughout the year to help keep the Center up and running.

With so much going on, and more planned, it’s a long way from where the Community Center stood 10, even three years ago, thanks to the hard work and efforts of the volunteer members of the Center.

“We’ve had a lot of grassroots support,” Berrier said. “If they haven’t come in and done the work, they’ve supported us in our events and donations.”