Mary Esther, Florida, United States

🇺🇸 Mary Esther is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Etymology Mary Esther gets its name from its first postmaster, John Newton, who named it for both of his daughters.

Geography U.S. Route 98 is the main route through the city, leading east 4 mi (6 km) to Fort Walton Beach and west 37 mi (60 km) to Pensacola.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), all land.

Libraries The idea of a public library was first proposed on February 4, 1974, to the then Mayor Tom Pryor. The library was first named the Mary Esther Community Library. It was run by volunteers and not tax supported. The original building was only 585 square feet, with annual fees ranging from $1.00 per person to $5.00 for a family. The building was later able to get an expansion to 810 square feet. The Mary Esther Community Library was then renamed in October 1976 to the current name of the Mary Esther Public Library. In 1988 when the space for the library was deemed too small, the Friends of the Library group created a petition for the citizens calling on the City Council to build a newer, bigger library. On February 6, 1989, the City Council approved the new site and size of the library. While the new library was being built the state of Florida also elected to give $175,000 dollars in matching funds to help with construction. Ground was broken on February 28, 1991, and the new Mary Esther Public Library opened to the public on March 9, 1992. Throughout the history of the Mary Esther Public Library there was talk of an Okaloosa County Library System, but it was repeatedly denied. The Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative eventually formed in 1997 with Mary Esther as one of the member libraries. The library received its most recent renovation in 2004 after receiving a $350,000 grant, adding an additional 2,000 square feet.