1918 Public Library, Kalamazoo, Michigan

[LIB3701]

Click on the tag for "Kalamazoo" to see additional cards for this library.

1909 Public Library, Kalamazoo, Michigan

[LIB3700]

The library's early headquarters in cramped rented facilities gave way to a fine new Romanesque structure completed in 1893 with a $50,000 gift from Dr. and Mrs. E. H. Van Deusen. By the late 1920s the library had grown so much that it spilled over into the adjacent Peck and Kauffer houses on Rose Street. The depression and World War II delayed a much needed new building, but after a spirited campaign, and a favorable millage vote in 1955, the library's second new building replaced the old one on 25 May 1959. [Thanks to the Kalamazoo Public Library www.kpl.gov]

Historic Carnegie Library reopens in Paso Robles CA

Thanks to KSBY.com Action News for this story:

Historic Carnegie Library reopens in Paso Robles, California

The Carnegie Library in Paso Robles reopened its doors Sunday after it suffered structural damage during the San Simeon Earthquake back in December of 2003. It was built in 1907 with funds donated by steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie.

Read the rest of the article here.

1907 Public Library, West Hoboken, NJ

[LIB3699]

Union City was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on January 1, 1925, replacing both Union Hill and West Hoboken Township.

Memorial Library, Collinsville, Illinois

[LIB3698]

Wood Library and Historical Museum, Canandaigua, NY

[LIB3697]

In the 1820s, William Wood, a local philanthropist, established a small book collection and reading room in the Ontario County Court House in Canandaigua. By the time Wood died in 1857, the reading room had ceased to exist. In 1859 Wood Library Association was open to the public in memory of Mr. Wood. In 1868 Wood Library was incorporated as a public library. For many years Wood Library was located in the town hall and briefly in a nearby law office before going back to the town hall. In 1914, Wood Library joined the Ontario County Historical Society in their building at 55 North Main Street. In 1973, Wood Library moved to its present location at 134 North Main Street. [Thanks to the Wood Library, www.woodlibrary.org]

Didymus Thomas Memorial Library, Remsen, NY

[LIB3696]

The Didymus Thomas Library was dedicated to the memory of her father by Lydia Marian Francis and erected in 1908.

1908 Public Library, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

[LIB3695]

Built in 1886 by the citizens of Wauwatosa. Title: Some Wisconsin library buildings, Wisconsin Free Library Commission, Publisher: Wisconsin Free Library Commission, 1904

Goshen Library and Historical Society, Goshen, New York

[LIB3694]

The Goshen Public Library and Historical Society was first chartered by the State of New York in 1894.

Public Library, Frankfort, Indiana

[LIB3693]

"Established by a Carnegie Foundation grant in 1907." [From the back of the card]

City reopens historic library, Newnan, Georgia

Thanks to the Times-Herald.com reporting on this story:

On Tuesday, citizens of the city of Newnan came together to celebrate the "rebirth" of the Newnan Carnegie Library. The city has been faithful to the... vision and has restored the building to a place of learning and knowledge -- "a place where people will come to learn the pleasures of reading."

Read the rest of the story here.

Andrew Carnegie provided a grant of $10,000, on 1901 December 30, for construction of a Carnegie Library building facing the town square in Newnan, Georgia. A teenager from this Georgia town actually sought this library grant directly from Andrew Carnegie! Given early in the Carnegie Library grant program, this was one of the first Carnegie Library grants in the state of Georgia and was provided to a town which had not previously had a public library. It is also, likely, the oldest surviving Carnegie Library building in the state. The cornerstone for the Library was laid on 1903 August 4. The Carnegie Library opened to the public in 1904. [Excerpted from Historic Carnegie Libraries, http://andrewcarnegie.tripod.com/cfl.html]

1924 Public Library, Jackson, Michigan

[LIB3692]

The library is on the National Register of Historic Places and on the State of Michigan Register of Historic Sites. Using a grant from Andrew Carnegie, the building was built in 1906 in a neoclassical style. There are 13 library locations in Jackson County. [Thanks to Museums and Historical Attractions in Jackson, Jackson County Conventions and Visitors Bureau, www.visitjacksonmi.com]

Public Library, Beaver Falls, PA

[LIB3691]

Other images of this library, click on Beaver Falls in the tags.

1937 Library, Bowling Green State College, Ohio

[LIB3690]

Carnegie Library, Paris, IL

[LIB3689]

Over one hundred years ago on June 24, 1904, citizens of Paris assembled at the Christian Church to dedicate the new Paris Carnegie Library, a real brick and mortar structure. Frank T. O'Hair presented the library on behalf of the board with Mayor Baum accepting the gift. Following the celebration, the library building was opened to the public for inspection. Over 3,000 volumes were on the shelves.

Dr. E. O. Laughlin, who was on the city council, described the process that finally gave rise to the present Carnegie Library. “The idea of securing a Carnegie Library for Paris crystallized in the Ferris drug store, which served the purpose of a popular club in the ‘90’s and later. It was presided over by the genial Dr. Edmund Ferris, veteran of the Civil War, who talked well, listened better, and whose hospitality was such that he never thought of closing the store as long as one guest would remain.” [Thanks to the Paris Public Library, www.parispubliclibrary.org] You may read a more extensive history of the Paris Public Library, including some interior photographs, HERE.

Cheney Free Public Library, Hoosick Falls, NY

[LIB3688]

The Cheney Library was a gift to the people of Hoosick Falls from Charles Cheney who, in 1912, left $50,000 in his estate for the construction and support of a library and historical rooms. Mr. Cheney was a long-standing student of history with a keen interest in libraries. In his will Mr. Cheney also left the people of Hoosick Falls many books and pictures for the library.

In 1907, Mr. Cheney petitioned the NY State Education Department for a Charter for a library for Hoosick Falls. The Hoosick Falls Free Public Library was opened in February of that year in the municipal building on Main Street. After Mr. Cheney's death in 1912, the funds he left for the library were invested until they had increased enough for a suitable building. On October 22, 1922 the cornerstone of the Cheney Free Public Library building was laid. The library opened on November 23, 1923 with 4,000 books in its collection and 400 patrons. [Thanks to the Cheney Free Public Library, /www.cheneylibrary.org

Martin Memorial Library, York, PA

[LIB3687]

Located on Market Street.

1939 Public Library, Chicago, Illinois

[LIB3686]

"The Public Library is located on Michigan Boulevard, extending from E. Washington St. to E. Randolph St. The building contains 110,000 square feet of floor space. The library is stocked with books upon almost every subject. There are extensive collections of art books and books in foreign languages, history, biography and travel. The library board maintains seventeen branch libraries and six branch reading rooms, also over a hundred delivery stations." [From the back of the card]

Identifying and Dating Postcards

I have added some new links to the right sidebar about dating postcards. One area that many people want to know more about is how to determine the date of a postcard image.

The Curt Teich Guide is extremely useful. The Teich cards were numbered and if you know the
number key than you can date the card with some accuracy. Postmarks may not always be useful when dating a card since the image on the front of the card may be old but was stamped and posted at a much later date.

Certain things in an image may be helpful in dating the card, including cars or automobiles you
can spot in the image, billboards with dates in the advertisement (for example, the introduction of the 1957 Chevrolet), and movie marquees (Ben Hur was showing in 1959), etc.

If you are selling your postcards on an online auction site, it is probably a good idea to put
these in your description since many collectors may look for movie-related items, or automobile
related items.

Also check out the new links for dating Real Photo Post Cards (RPPC). These can often be a little
trickier when dating since many were not sent or they show images of people and houses. Some helpful reference books for your home library might include books about automobiles (often issued for a decade of cars, for example cars of the 1960s) or fashions of different decades. Remember, if you are selling your cards, identifying a 1959 Corvette, or Gothic Revival architecture, might make the difference between not selling or selling your card. Be descriptive!

1908 Public Library, Muncie, Indiana

[LIB3685]

This vintage post card was sent to Miss Flora Turner, Williamsburg, Indiana.

In 1901, the city of Muncie received a $50,000 Carnegie grant. Architect Marshall S. Mahurin of Fort Wayne, who also designed the 1893 Fort Wayne City Hall, designed the classical revival building. The cornerstone was laid on 1 June 1902, and the official opening was 1 January 1904. Above the entrance is the legend "This building the gift of Andrew Carnegie. Built anno Domini 1902." On either side of this are reliefs of female figures, identified as Law, Science, Prose, Art, Poetry, and Music.

The Muncie Public Library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 17 June 1976 as building #76000019. Ten years later, the library received the Althea Stoeckel Award for Historic Preservation for the renovation of the interior of the building. [A very big thank you to Waymarking.com, www.waymarking.com] More information about the Carnegie Library in Muncie Indiana, including contemporary photos, can be found here.

State Library and Supreme Court Building, Hartford, CT

[LIB3684]

The newly built Connecticut State Library and Supreme Court Building at 231 Capitol Avenue in Hartford was described in 1910 as "one of the most beautiful structures in this country and said by some to be the handsomest building in New England." Hartford Courant Dec. 17, 1910, p. 18

Denver Library plans cuts, Byers branch closing

Thanks to the Rocky Mountain Independent for this story: The Denver Public Library's (DPL) historic Byers branch may be closed as part of 2010 budget cuts. (Photo courtesy of the Denver Public Library, Western History Collection)

DPL will save an estimated $604,000 by shuttering this branch. The Byers branch, which was named after Rocky Mountain News founder William N. Byers, was one of nine Denver libraries built between 1913 and 1920 using funds from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Built in 1918, the Byers branch has been designated a historic landmark by the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission.

Only five of the Carnegie libraries in Denver remain in use: Byers, Smiley, Decker, Woodbury and Park Hill. The original Central Library building, located in Civic Center, is being used by the city and county of Denver. [Read the entire story from the Rocky Mountain Independent by CLICKING HERE)

1936 Carnegie Library and Park, Tucson, Arizona

[LIB3683]

A nice view, this is a C.T. American post card, Curt Teich, Chicago. The card is numbered 6A-H653. Library designed by George C. Frost. [A Book of Carnegie Libraries, Theodore Wesley Koch, H.W. Wilson Co., White Plains NY and New York City, 1917]

1949 Carnegie Library, Tucson, Arizona

[LIB3682]

Tucson’s Carnegie Library was designed by Henry Trost and opened in 1901. The building has suffered a variety of indignities, including the collapse of its dome and the construction of a massive wall that surrounds and obscures the building. It was home to the public library until the completion of the Main Library on Stone Avenue in 1990. The Tucson Children’s Museum moved in the next year. [Thanks to Downtown Tucson Partnership, /www.downtowntucson.org]

1949 Library, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

[LIB3681]

Another one bites the dust...

Thanks to Edith OSB by way of Flickr, this report about the demolished Carnegie Library in Stuart, Iowa:

"The small town of Stuart, Iowa was on the list of Carnegie Libraries in Iowa. I had the address written down, but could not locate the library in the near-dusk when I arrived. When I went back the next morning, I discovered why: the original Carnegie Library building had been torn down, and was now a construction site." [You can read the rest of the story here]

Public Library, Wyomissing, PA

[LIB3680]

By 1930 the library needed more space. That year Mrs. Ferdinand Thun, Chair of the Library Committee, offered to donate funds for a new library building. At this time, the Wyomissing Public Library Corporation was formed and the Women's Club ceased its era of library management.

This new building, situated at the corner of Penn Avenue and Reading Boulevard, was a completely Wyomissing undertaking. Mr. Charles Muhlenberg was chosen as architect and Mr. Edward A. Reider, Jr. was selected as the contractor. On April 16, 1931 a pre-opening inspection was held for invited guests, and the following day marked the formal opening of the third (and current) home of the library. [Thanks to the Wyomissing Public Library, www.wyopublib.org]

Corriher Linn Black Library, Catawba College, Salisbury, NC

[LIB3679]

The Corriher-Linn-Black Library opened for use in November 1953 and it is the campus center for library and information resources and services. The library is named in memory of Mr. Lotan A. Corriher, Mr. J.P. Linn, Dr. O.R. Black, and Mr. G.O. Lipe. {Thanks to Catawba College, http://libweb.catawba.edu]

New use for an old library...

From old to new

First tenant moves into a FD landmark:

Tenants in the new Carnegie Apartments will feel right at home curling up in an easy chair with a good book. That's because their easy chairs will be in the old Fort Dodge Public Library, a 1906 concrete building under renovation in downtown Fort Dodge.

The Carnegie Apartments building is an architectural landmark in downtown Fort Dodge, built with money from Scottish-American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. [Read the rest of the story in The Messenger /www.messengernews.net] See this post for more info.

c1905 George Maxwell Memorial Library, Rockville, CT

[LIB3678]

The history of the Rockville Public Library began in 1893 with the bequest of $10,000 from George Maxwell to the town for a free public library. Previously, private subscription library services, which charged a fee, existed in the area. The bequest was given with the provision that the town raise an equal amount in five years.

The present building, constructed in 1904, was designed by Charles A. Platt of New York. It was a gift from Mr. Maxwell's wife and children after his death. In addition to the building, the gift included funding to maintain and operate the facility. The majority of the library's current operating budget continues to come from this source. The total cost for the lot, building, and furnishings was approximately $150,000. The library was dedicated and opened on June 29, 1904. [Thanks to the Rockville Public Library, www.biblio.org]

1912 Public Library, Joliet, IL

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1921 Public Library, Newark, NY

[LIB3676]

The Newark Public Library was chartered in 1897 with the help of Reverend Charles W. Tomlinson. However, it was Henry C. Rew who presented his family's homestead site at the corner of Mason and High Streets for the library's location.

The cornerstone of the building was laid in October of 1900.The northeast wing was added in 1937, while the northwest wing was added in 1954 for additional library space and to house the Hoffman Clock Museum. The children's room in the lower level was constructed in 1963. [Thanks to the Newark Public Library, newarklibrary.blogspot.com]

c1905 Memorial Library, Malden, MA

[LIB3675]

In 1879, the people of Malden opened the Malden Public Library in a small room in the Town Hall. The library was housed there until Malden's first mayor, Elisha S. Converse and his wife, Mary, donated money to build the Converse Memorial Building.

Opened in October of 1885, the Converse Memorial Building was designed by renowned architect H.H. Richardson. The building housed the library as well as an art gallery. Today the majority of the library's collection is housed in the new addition which opened in June of 1996. [Thanks to the Memorial Library, maldenpubliclibrary.org]

John Stewart Memorial Library, Wilson College, Chambersburg, PA

[LIB3674]

"Wilson College was incorporated by Act of the Legislature, March 24, 1869, and was opened October 12, 1870, as a school for the higher education of women. A large portion of the founding of this college were contributed by Miss Sarah Wilson as a memorial to herself and her family. Miss Wilson is buried in the graveyard of Rocky Spring Presbyterian Church." [From the back of the card]

1952 Woodward Library, LeRoy, New York

[LIB3673]

On May 29, 1930 the doors of the Woodward Memorial Library opened to the community. The public library was a gift to the people of LeRoy from the five children of Orator and Cora Woodward in memory of their parents. The library was the first free public library in the community; previous libraries were by subscription. Built on the site of the Staunton Conservatory and Arts Building of Ingham University (1837-1891), the library was designed in the English Colonial style using stones from the conservatory. [Interior photo and text thanks to Woodward Memorial Library, woodwardmemoriallibrary.org]

Public Library, Savannah, Georgia

[LIB3672]

Currently home to The Georgia Historical Society. The Society’s collection includes four million manuscripts, 100,000 photographs, 30,000 architectural drawings, 15,000 rare and non-rare books, and thousands of maps, portraits and artifacts, representing the collective memory of the state of Georgia and relating the stories of the state’s diverse people.

1906 Carnegie Library, Syracuse, NY

[LIB3671]

In 1905, Syracuse Public Library opened the doors of a facility on Montgomery Street made possible by a gift from Andrew Carnegie. [Thanks to Onondaga County Public Library www.onlib.org]

The Egbert Starr Library, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT

[LIB3670]

"The Egbert Starr Library blends the old and the new designs with other campus buildings." [From the back of the card]

Barnes Library, Meriden, NH

[LIB3669]

Also shows Baxter Hall.