Langholm Library was founded in 1800 and purchased its books with funds from members’ subscriptions and from donations. One of the donors was the engineer Thomas Thomas (1757-1834), born in the neighbouring parish of Westerkirk, who gave Westerkirk and Langholm Libraries £1000 each in his will and an additional £1700 to Westerkirk from the residue of his estate.

The Langholm Library was housed in an extension to the town hall building, built in 1811-1813 and considerably expanded to incorporate the library in 1877. It was built in Jacobean style with funds provided in part by woollen mill manufacturer Alexander Reid (1814-1874). The architect was local resident James Burnet (1826-1898) who also designed the chapel on the Duke of Buccleuch’s Langholm estate.