Carnegie Library, El Reno, Oklahoma

[LIB7124] On January 28, 1904, the board voted to accept Andrew Carnegie’s proposition to give $12,500 if the city would agree to maintain the library at an expense of not less than $1,250 a year.  The library board accepted the completed building on May 5, 1905. [Source]

Library, Riverside, California

[LIB6431] 1902 Construction begins on the downtown library at the northeast corner of Seventh and Orange Streets. The Mission Revival building is the work of the architectural firm of Burham and Blieser of Los Angeles; the general contractor is J. W. Carroll of Riverside. 31 July 1903 The Carnegie Library opens to the public. It has a capacity of 20,000 volumes. November–December 1964 The Carnegie Library and the Allatt and Humphrey Houses are demolished; the new downtown library is occupied and opened to the public.[From the website]

Carnegie Libraries in Alabama

The Wikipedia list of Carnegie libraries in Alabama provides detailed information on United States Carnegie libraries in Alabama, where 14 public libraries were built from 14 grants (totaling $195,800) awarded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York from 1901 to 1916. In addition, academic libraries were built at 5 institutions (totaling $94,040). Out of 14 public libraries, 4 are no longer standing. [Wikipedia]

1913 Public Library, Benton Harbor, Michigan

[LIB1832] This building, funded by the Carnegie Foundation, was opened in 1903. It has since been demolished. For more Carnegie Libraries of Michigan, visit Judy Aulik's nice website, Library Postcards: Civic Pride in a Lost America.

1938 Public Library, Cheboygan, Michigan

[LIB1741] Carnegie Free Library building; the first building constructed in Cheboygan to serve specifically as a library. Steel magnate Andrew Carnegie donated $15,000 for the building in 1908, it was completed in 1913, and served as the city library until 1966. [Wikipedia]

Public Library, Gardiner, Maine

[LIB1655]

1897: A $2,500 grant from Andrew Carnegie was accepted. This money represented only a portion of the money raised to fund this library. The present library was built in 1881 (designed by architect Henry Richards).

1925 Public Library, Penn Yan, New York

[LIB1572] Founded in 1895 with 1400 used books, the library offers its users the latest books, programs and services to meet all their information needs. A school district public library, it serves primarily the 15,060 residents of the Penn Yan Central School District. The original building, a genuine Carnegie Library, dates from 1905. Click here to order a reproduction of this postcard!

1908 Carnegie Library, Dallas, Texas

[LIB1566] Carnegie Library, razed 1954

Price Hill Public Library, Cincinnati, Ohio

[LIB1550] The Price Hill Branch, which opened in 1909, is one of the nine area libraries in Hamilton County built with funds provided by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. Notable features of the French Renaissance style brick and limestone building include a roof with tin deck and slate slopes, fleur-de-lis grid over the doors, bird head door handles, and cherry wood shelves.

1914 Public Library, Duluth, Minnesota

[LIB1418] Andrew Carnegie gave $75,000 to the city for a new library. The Carnegie Building opened in 1902 and was used until 1980. Order a reproduction of this postcard!

Carnegie Library, Yonkers, NY 1906 Reproduction

A reproduction of a vintage post card shows the Carnegie Library, Washington Park, Yonkers, New York.

This item is of archival quality, high resolution, it has been retouched, recolored in areas, cropped and enhanced. This assures that your item will print with the highest quality possible.

Carnegie Library, Yonkers, NY 1906 Vintage by markomundo
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Niagara Library, Niagara Falls, New York

[LIB1265]

By 1898, the collection consisted of 5,000 volumes supervised by Adele Barnum, the first paid librarian. Growing pains continued and, by 1901, Niagara Falls Power Company Director William B. Rankin came to the rescue by securing a $500,000 grant for a library building from Pittsburgh Steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. A site at the corner of Main Street and Ashland Avenue was chosen, and in 1904, the library moved into spacious new quarters with marble floors, brass fixtures and room for 13,134 volumes. WEBSITE [http://www.niagarafallspubliclib.org/History.htm]

This building was designed by E.E. Joralemon who also designed the Carnegie Library in North Tonawanda. This building features stained-glass skylights and once had a second level whose floor was made of glass blocks. Both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This building was renovated with Federal funds in 1995 but it has not been used as a library since the 1970s when a new library opened nearby. It's now used for City Offices. WAYMARKING [http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM80M5_1902_Carnegie_Library_Niagara_Falls_NY]

c1906 Carnegie Library, Washington Park, Yonkers, New York

[LIB1264]

The Carnegie library building served the Yonkers public for almost 80 years. Doomed by the decision to expand Nepperhan Avenue into an arterial, the building was closed and eventually demolished in May 1982, to the dismay of many.

Carnegie Library, Vallejo, California

[LIB1208] A massive 1960's era redevelopment project leveled 24 blocks of the City center including architectural treasures such as the Carnegie Library, demolished in 1969.

1909 Public Library, Edwardsville, Illinois

[LIB1167]

In 1903 Edwardsville resident Charles Boeschenstein, the publisher of the Intelligencer and a former mayor, wrote Andrew Carnegie to request funds to erect a library building. Through Boeschenstein's efforts, Edwardsville received $12,500 for the construction of a permanent home for the public library. The city of Edwardsville complimented Carnegie's offer by donating a parcel of land in the city park for the library to occupy.
Work began in 1904, and the building was dedicated on June 28, 1906. At that time a library membership cost 10 cents per month, which allowed access to a collection of roughly 500 books. To support the continued operation of the library, patrons hosted several community events and fund-raisers, such as concerts and card games. [From the website]

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1930 Public Library, Elkhart, Indiana

1903 Elkhart Public Carnegie Library opens (October 2nd), torn down in 1970.

[LIB1130] Click here to order a reproduction of this postcard!

1945 Lee Wallace Library, Crawfordsville, Indiana

In March 1901, the city learned that Carnegie was willing to donate $25,000 for a free public library. The city was required to furnish a site and to support the library to the extent of $2,500 annually. The Carnegie Library/Crawfordsville Public Library was thus constructed on the corner of Washington Street and Wabash Avenue (its present location); the building was made with smooth-cut ashlar stone, and its entrance was accented by unfluted ionic columns (a style common among Carnegie libraries at that time). The library was dedicated on July 29, 1902. [read more of the Crawfordsville Library history here]

[LIB1105] Click here to order a reproduction of this postcard!

1905 Memorial Library, Mansfield, Ohio

[LIB1031]

In 1902, head librarian Martha Mercer went to New York to solicit funds for a new library building from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. She returned to Mansfield with a grant for $35,000, on the condition that the city provide the building site and annual operating funds of $3,500 (10% of the grant). The city agreed to the conditions and the building was designed and built on the site of the Grace Episcopal Church on Third Street. The building, designed by Mansfield architect Vernon Redding, was dedicated December 19, 1908. [from the website]

Public Library, Port Richmond, Staten Island, New York

[LIB1027]

Located two blocks from Port Richmond Avenue along Bennett Street and opposite Veterans Park, the Port Richmond Branch opened its doors in 1905 as one of the branches built with funds from Andrew Carnegie.

1914 Public Library, Peru, Indiana

[LIB1023]

The Peru Public Library is a Carnegie Library located on East Main Street in Peru, Indiana. In the year 1897, under the direction of the school board and a number of others, —lovers of books whose names may be forgotten, but whose work will go on forever—a library was organized in the city of Peru. After the common struggle attendant upon most beginnings, a few books and a small room for their keeping were secured. The Carnegie gift of $25,000 has made possible a good substantial two story building, the abiding place of books, pictures and furniture belonging to the city Library. [Municipal and institutional libraries of Indiana: History, condition and management -- Free Google eBook]