Playing games with friends in the community has been a beloved activity for many centuries. However, more recently, people have been playing a version of a niche Chinese game, Mahjong, around the United States. The traditional Chinese version has been played for around 150 years all around the world but the current edition and rules of American Mahjong are relatively new. The newest rules for the game came out in 2005, with new ways to play and different hands coming out at the start of every year.
The Lovettsville Library has been hosting a Mahjong club every Thursday since July of 2025. Founded by active community member Molly Hafner, who wanted to create a community of fellow players. Hafner shared the public response when she pitched the club to the library and the community center, saying, “The second that we brought it to them, they were really excited about it. The library [and community center] purchased their own Mahjong sets. They wanted people to come and enjoy it in their space.”
Tina Cheatham, a certified Mahjong teacher, has been playing and teaching the game for years. She joined the club because she was excited that there was a community of Mahjong players in Lovettsville that was very welcoming. “While you can play Mahjong online, it’s really best played in person. We are so lucky in Lovettsville to have free places for anyone to play at our Library and at our Community Center,” Cheatham expressed.
Regular club attendee, Kim Hunter, is fairly new to the town of Lovettsville and enjoys having a friendly community in something that she enjoys. Her experience in previous clubs consisted of members not allowing anyone who is not very experienced in Mahjong to join. Hunter also shared how in some areas it was hard to find someone who was willing to teach her to play. She enjoys that the Lovettsville community has such an open group, especially because of her past experiences. “I’m new to Lovettsville and I’m getting to meet other ladies, and we’re all of different ages. They’re willing to train and teach you, which I think is really nice,” Hunter shared.
Outside of playing in the library and the community center, many players have had the opportunity to go to different events in the area. Restaurants will hold “Mahjong Nights” where they have Mahjong sets out for people to play while they eat. Hafner and Cheatham even went to a Mahjong themed camp in Alabama. They were able to meet and play with a lot of new people and learn new things by attending this camp.
If you ever want to learn a new game that is slowly gaining more popularity, or are looking for a reason to get out of the house and make new friends, the Lovettsville Library offers not only the ability to play Mahjong but also the right atmosphere to have fun.
