Public Library, Charlotte, North Carolina

[LIB8042] Undated postcard.

In 1901, philanthropist Andrew Carnegie agreed to donate $25,000 for a library building, if the city would furnish a site and taxes to support operations. The tax was approved by vote of citizens on May 6, 1901. The building, with an imposing classical façade and a grand total of 2,526 books, was dedicated and opened to the public on July 2, 1903 in the 300 block of North Tryon Street. The Carnegie Library`s 1903 charter also provided for the Brevard Street Library for Negroes, the first library of its kind in the state. It opened as an independent institution at the corner of Brevard and East 2nd Street in 1905, becoming a branch of the Charlotte Public Library in 1929, and continuing to operate until 1961. This branch was independent of the Carnegie Library and overseen by a separate board of prominent black citizens. Lydia Schencks was appointed librarian, and the city appropriated $400 for the first year of operation. [Website]

Public Library, Rhinelander, Wisconsin

[LIB8041] A Carnegie library with an interesting history. Opened November 1, 1904. Main Street Public Library: Community Places and Reading Spaces in the Rural Heartland, 1876-1956 (Google eBook)

1907 Public Library, Kalamazoo, Michigan

[LIB8040] The origins of the Kalamazoo Public Library were humble. In 1860 the local school district inherited 123 volumes from a failed township library. With that tiny collection, a library was opened for a single hour per week, its use limited to students of the school district and their parents. It grew through the Civil War years until it had 2,800 books, and opened to the general public on 12 October 1872. From that modest beginning, Kalamazoo Public Library has continued to grow until it now offers 120,000 people almost 400,000 books and a variety of other media from five buildings. [Website]

1912 Public Library, Elwood, Indiana

[LIB8039] Part of the North Madison County Public Library System.

1910 Public Library, Melrose, Massachusetts

[LIB8038] - Color tinted postcard published by The Rotograph Co., N.Y. City. (Germany)

With the arrival of the twentieth century, the fifty year old Town of Melrose became a City -- a City that had grown in half a century from 1,200 to 12,000 citizens. Aware of the urgent need for a larger library facility, Mayor John Larrabee and other citizens persuaded Andrew Carnegie to make a substantial contribution for the construction of a library building. A handsome new building, recognized as the basis for the present enlarged plant, was erected on the West Emerson Street site of the old High School, which had been destroyed by fire in 1897. [Website]

Kendal Young Library, Webster City, Iowa

[LIB8037] - Early in the history of Hamilton county there came to Webster City two men whose memory will ever be cherished by a grateful people. These were Kendall Young and Jacob M Funk. They were both capitalists and men of financial genius but both were retiring and modest in general conduct. Kendall Young had no children and Jacob Funk had neither wife nor children. In many respects they were opposite from each other. Kendall Young was a republican, Jacob Funk was a democrat. Kendall Young was a down town man while Jacob Funk was an up town man. Kendall Young was a banker and conducted his business in a most orderly and systematic manner. Jacob Funk was a farmer, builder, landlord and man of many diversified interests and usually kept his accounts in his head. Both agreed however, in a good opinion of the city in which they lived and of its people, their neighbors and friends. Kendall Young established the Kendall Young Library. Jacob Funk founded Mercy Hospital. Both were public benefactors in a large and unusual degree. [http://bit.ly/ZMUm4V]

Library, Torrington, Connecticut

[LIB8036] The building that houses the Library today on Daycoeton Place was constructed in 1900 with funds donated by another highly influential and respected donor, Mr. Elisha Turner.  At the dedication ceremony on September 11, 1901, Yale professor Bernadotte Perrin said, “A Library in a community is a fountain of ennobling influence.  A memorial such as the one left by Mr. Turner will live forever and this community will have long memory for Lauren Wetmore and Elisha Turner.” [Website]

Public Library, Cheshire, Connecticut

[LIB8035] Undated postcard published by The Collotype Co., Elizabeth, N.J. and N.Y.


Community support for the Cheshire Public Library began in 1888 when a group of concerned citizens gathered together to form the Village Improvement Society. After the Society met its initial goals, they turned their attention to the establishment of a library. In order to stock that first library, Mary Baldwin and her friend Mary Dickerman spent many hours collecting books. In 1892, a Library Association formed, with Mary Baldwin volunteering to serve as Librarian, a post she would hold for the next 29 years. The first Cheshire Public Library officially opened in one room, once a school building belonging to Dr. Horton on Horton Avenue.

Two years later the Library moved to a house owned by Mary Baldwin’s father, presently known as the Belknap House. [Website]

1906 Carnegie Library, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

[LIB8029] Published by the Souvenir Post Card Co., New York and Berlin. Posted from Pittsburg on 9 July 1906 and received at Lewistown, Pennsylvania 10 July. The card is addressed to Mrs. Guyer McCoy of Lewistown. The McCoy house is on the National Register of Historic Places (1973).

1973 Friendship Library, Florham Madison Campus, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, New Jersey

[LIB8028] Addressed to Princeton, New Jersey. The address has been redacted for privacy.

Completed in the spring of 1961, the facility was named Friendship Library in honor of the bond shared between FDU trustees and supporters Samuel J. Silberman and Fairleigh S. Dickinson, whose donations made the project possible. Then, Sammartino “gave carte blanche to the librarian as far as books were concerned.” By 1962, the collection had grown to exceed 34,000 volumes. [Website]

Public Library, Elizabeth, New Jersey

[LIB8027] Local history resource: ELIZR285.1 EL42C   Church of the Founding Fathers of New Jersey, by Harry C. Ellison. [Website]

This undated postcard was published by Art Photo Greeting Co., Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Danforth Memorial Library, Paterson, New Jersey

[LIB8026] Undated postcard published by the Valentine & Sons' Publishing Company, New York and Boston. Printed in the United States. The Valentine Company, a lithographic printing firm, was founded in 1825 in Dundee, Scotland by John Valentine.

1964 Library, Douglass College, New Brunswick, New Jersey

[LIB8025] - Douglass College was part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

Public Library, Arkansas City, Kansas

[LIB8024] N. D. Sanders, “an enthusiastic advocate” of a library, entered into correspondence with Andrew Carnegie who responded with a generous offer of $16,000.00 for a building.  This was on April 10, 1906.  (The amount was later increased to $18,400, provided that “Council guarantee a corresponding increase in the maintenance fund.”)  On June 28, 1906, the electorate voted to support a public library.  The first Library Board was established July 11, 1906.

A site at Second Street and West Fifth Avenue was chosen and six lots were selected and purchased.  The architectural firm of Smith and Shenck of Fort Worth designed the building.  The contract was let for no more than $16,000.00 to George E. Hopper, but the building was finished under the supervision of J. Y. Davis.  The plumbing was done by James Bays, and decorating and interior finishing was contracted by Cooper & Heydorf Bros.  The library board spent $2,600.00 on the grounds, and the building cost was $18,400.00.  The Fortnightly Club donated 600 volumes to the 3,000 volumes purchased by the board, thus the library was opened with 3,600 volumes.  The dedication was held August 5, 1908. A. J. Hunt, president of the New Era Mill, gave the dedicatory address. [Website]

Mayfield-Graves County Library, Mayfield, Kentucky

[LIB8023] The library was organized in 1940 and is one of the outstanding libraries in the state of Kentucky. It is housed in the magnificent "Gardner" home and located at 6th and College Street.

By 1960, the inventory of the library had grown to over 14,000 items, thanks in part to the Honorable Bertry Holifield.  Following his death in 1957, he bequeathed his private library to the Graves County Public Library.  The more rare selections of his private collection are still housed  at our library. Also, a local business owner, O.G. Ducobu; who, when he died, left properties valued at several thousands of dollars to the library. Another milestone for the library about that time, was the interest and support of the Trustees of the Annie Gardner Foundation.  They graciously offered the use of Edana Locus, the Ed Gardner home located on East College Street.  Under the care and direction of Head Librarian, Mrs. J.E. Warren and the Library Trustees, Mrs. Jewel Moore, Ed Ray, T.C. Arnett, and Mrs. Joseph Tripp, the elegant home was transformed into one of the loveliest libraries in the state of Kentucky.   The library thrived and expanded until moving to our current location in the early 90’s. [Website]

Public Library, Closter, New Jersey

[LIB8022] Undated postcard. Published by the Teacraft Co., Tenafly, New Jersey. The building is still in use as a public library. [Website]

Jones Library, Inc., Amherst, Massachusetts

[LIB8021] Undated linen postcard.

Jones Library, Inc., Amherst, Massachusetts

[LIB8020] Undated postcard. Scott - G 1394. Made in Germany.

1905 Public Library, Canton, Massachusetts

[LIB8020] - By 1898 the Library held some 9100 volumes, circulating 19,073 volumes to borrowers. Patrons of the library were allowed a second library card to borrow non-fiction titles. The library was open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. The town's population was 4,636.

The present building and grounds were bequested to the Town of Canton by Mr. and Mrs. Augustus Hemenway Canton philanthropists in 1901 "in consideration of [the] desire to promote the study of Science, Literature and Art in the Town of Canton, and for other good and valuable considerations...". Designed after the "Harvard" or "Old English bond" style it was built by architects Winslow and Bigelow for $70,000. On July 6, 1902, its doors were opened to the public. [Website]

The postcard is addressed to Miss Shirley M. King, of Topeka, Kansas. It was sent by Mattie or Hattie? The card was published by E. C. Britton, Canton, Massachusetts.

1908 Library, Norfolk, Connecticut

[LIB8019] - Addressed to Mrs. M(inot). E. (Stella) Chatfield, New Haven, Connecticut. Postmarked New Haven and Waterbury. (Stella Stowe Russell).

This building is still in use as a public library. Miss Isabella Eldridge established the Norfolk Library as a memorial to her parents, The Reverend Joseph and Sarah Battell Eldridge, and presented it to the town of Norfolk in 1889. Her hope was that it would be a meeting ground for the community rather than just an institution and it has maintained the character she gave it through all the years of its existence. It serves not only as a storehouse of reading for instruction and pleasure, but also as a meeting site for various clubs and groups.

Mr. George Keller of Hartford was the architect for the building which first opened on March 6, 1889. At the time it was built, the structure went no farther than the north-south corridor of alcoves. The Great Hall, additional stacks, and the back alcove, also designed by Keller, were added in 1911, again the gift of Isabella Eldridge. [Website]

Library, Monett, Missouri

[LIB8018] Undated. Manufactured by the Richards Co., Ft. Scott, Kansas.

Ida Public Library, Belvidere, Illinois

[LIB8017] - Ida Public Library, was formed in 1883. The current building was constructed in 1912 and opened in 1913, with an addition built in 1987. [Website]

The library is named in Ida Fuller Hovey's memory. Her husband, Gen. Allen Fuller gave Belvidere $5,000 in 1883 to establish the library.

1912 Free Public Library, Dunkirk, New York

[LIB8016]

Library, Terryville, Connecticut

[LIB6011] The beginning of the Terryville Library dates back to 1839, during the Presidency of Martin Van Buren, when thirty citizens of the Town of Plymouth organized a private subscription library. The subscribers to the Terryville Lyceum Library were a roster of the leading citizens of the town: The clock maker Eli Terry, the local shop owners, John C. Lewis, Sereno Gaylord and William McKee; the Congregational Church Minister, Nathaniel Richardson and the brothers who owned the village store, Philo and John Lewis. The records of the Terryville Lyceum Library show that it flourished for twenty years. Shortly after the Civil War, interest dwindled. [Website]

1906 Library, Watertown, South Dakota

[LIB7827] - The Carnegie Free Library, designed in neo-classical architecture, first opened to the public on November 29, 1906. Early names on the Board include W. R. Thomas, J. B. Hanten, D. T. Walker, George Case, J. J. Clutton, H. L. Sheldon, Mrs. Sheafe, Mrs. W. D. Morris and Mrs. S. H. Addison. The mezzanine was added in 1941 for additional space. The Children's Department located in the basement was added in 1949. A weekly Story Hour was held on Saturday mornings.

In 1948, the board discussed the possibility of starting a new fund for a new building. In 1967, the library moved to a larger location. The Carnegie Library served the citizens of Watertown for over sixty years. The Carnegie building subsequently was used by the Watertown Youth Group (1970) for a recreation center and in 1974, the Codington County Historical Society was given the use of the building for $1 a year. [Website]

Public Library, Marion, Ohio

[LIB7826] - Website


“Since 1886 Marion has enjoyed the benefits of a public library. Marion’s first library had an annual $1 a year subscription and was known as the Mechanics’ Library Association. In 1907 a Carnegie building was completed, which, with a few additions served the community through 1978. Our current building was occupied in 1979, and added to in 1997. Three branches serve Marion County communities in Caledonia, LaRue, and Prospect.”

Thanks to:
David Hepp
Extension Services Coordinator
Marion Public Library

for updated historical information.

George C. Marshall Research Library, Lexington, Virginia

[LIB7825] Lexington, Virginia's new Marshall Library houses a fascinating museum dealing with World War II and the life of war-time chief of staff and the author of the European recover plan.

The building, which faces the VMI parade ground, will become a leading center for 20th century military and diplomatic history. [from the back of the card]

THE MISSION OF THE George C. Marshall Research Library is to collect, preserve, and make available to scholars a documented record of the life and public service career of George Catlett Marshall. That mission includes a variety of military and diplomatic history issues between the years 1900 and 1960. Many of Marshall's contemporaries have donated their documents in support of the library's mission. [Website]

Public Library, Lorain, Ohio

[LIB7824] - A beautiful handcolored vintage postcard, c1907.

The cornerstone was finally laid on August 18, 1903 and speeches abounded - or to quote a local newspaper, attendees listened to "Eloquent Addresses and Fine Singing." Mayor F. J. King reportedly used this platform to state that there were "always evil influences abroad which had to be counteracted in some way otherwise than the law. Next to the church, the free Public Library is the most powerful institution for uplifting society in the land." Claiming that the only way to conquer evil was to strengthen the good, he implored citizens to "strive to make the Public Library a lasting benefit to every citizen." [website]