Tag Archives: Carnegie library

Beneath A Watchful Eye

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Patrons of the Carnegie Library in Chillicothe come and go every day under the watchful eye of an eagle. They read their newspapers and move through the stacks carefully choosing what next to read, perhaps without ever questioning why there’s an old metal weathervane hanging high on the wall beyond their reach.

That’s not just any old weathervane, the librarian says it’s the one that was installed over the first Ross County Courthouse in 1801. At some point, during the nation’s centennial year, it was displayed in the library on the top floor of the city building where it stayed until it was moved to above the circulation desk in the newly opened Carnegie Library in 1907. 

The library has since been remodeled, the circulation desk moved and the weather vane has been moved to another wall in the original part of the library. 

This weathervane is deeply intertwined in the library’s history as much as it is in the city’s history and in the state’s history as well. After all, this old eagle stood sentinel over Ohio’s first and third capital city for many years. That’s why it was exhibited at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus during the opening reception of a new Ohio Constitution display in 2018.

You have to wonder what it has seen over all these years.

Carnegie In Chillicothe

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When you’re a book nerd, most any place with lots of books will do. Bookstores and public libraries are favorite places for most self respecting book dragons. For this reason alone, Andrew Carnegie is one of the very best philanthropists in our nation’s history, if you ask me.

Carnegie was one of the wealthiest men in American history and he chose to spend much of his wealth helping others. He saw value in giving communities centers for learning and culture. To have a library where people could go for free programming and for books was a true gift, especially for the poor. 

Carnegie, like some other wealthy individuals of the day, seemed to feel responsibility to do something useful for the good of the world. This, of course, was at a time in our history when education and intelligence were things to revere. That doesn’t seem to be the case these days as we push kids toward money rather than learning and our own opinions over the expert’s experience. Most of our country’s wealthy tend to invest in their own dreams and missions rather than someone else’s. 

We could use an Andrew Carnegie right now. 

We went on a sidequest Saturday to visit the Carnegie Library in Chillicothe. This is one of about 2,500 libraries that Carnegie donated in American communities both big and small. This library was built with a gift of $30,000 from Carnegie and a ten percent match of $3,000 raised locally. That was in 1907 during the heart of Carnegie’s 46-year building spree. 

We got a quick tour of the facility from the library director. He took us outside to show us the building’s appearance today and then back inside to see old photos that depict the original look of the building. Most Carnegies were designed with simple but impressive staircases that lead to substantial front doors. Once you’ve seen a Carnegie library or two it’s easy to spot them.

When ADA access became a legal issue, these libraries were modernized in a couple of basic ways. The least obtrusive was to build on and add a side or back door with a ramp or elevator. Then there’s what actually happened in many communities including Chillicothe. They removed the front steps and made a new front door at ground level. Not only did this change the character of the building, it caused water drainage issues for this one. The director told us they are working on a plan to expand the library and restore the original entrance and steps. ‘

I hope they’re able to do it. 

It’s a nice library and the collection looked interesting. I have a card with their system but always go to a location across town. Now I want to go back!

Washington County Carnegie Library

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There’s one library in the world that’s built on an Indian mound and it’s in Marietta, Ohio. Funded largely by Andrew Carnegie, it opened in 1918 and has served the neighborhood ever since.

It was originally constructed as one floor with a basement but they have remodeled a couple of times, adding a mezzanine to provide much needed space.

While building atop the Capitolium Mound was acceptable in the early twentieth century, laws have changed and they are now prohibited from building out from the original footprint. The librarian told me that this is not an option due to cost and that they will continue to make do with the current space.

The original oak woodwork is gorgeous. The space is compact but they have packed a lot into it. Plus, a cute little yellow house next door serves as an annex. Here’s the Andrew Carnegie portrait required to hang in every Carnegie library.

Hey, if you donate that kind of money to libraries across the country, it’s not asking too much to have your picture hang in them all!

It’s so light and airy I wanted to sit and get lost in a good book.

This is a beautiful older neighborhood with tree lined streets and kids at play – a perfect setting for this great old Carnegie.

According to this Clio article, no human remains were found in the mound during excavation. So that’s a relief. The mound was constructed by the Hopewell culture and dates to approximately 100 BCE. Another Indian mound in Marietta was preserved as part of an early cemetery that’s a who’s who of history. I’ll tell you about that one sometime soon.

Muncie Carnegie Library

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Built of Indiana limestone, it has occupied a full acre of a busy downtown street since 1902. It’s the Muncie Carnegie Library, a gorgeous old place that smells like history.

Today, the library system uses it as their history and genealogy library.

This neoclassical building features a large dome that’s an absolute showstopper.

The dome’s purple floral motif provided inspiration for the interior wall colors – ivory and lavender. While I wouldn’t have chosen this particular shade of lavender, it does reflect the tastes of the late Victorian era when the building was designed and built.

In addition to the research resources, this building houses some art and artifacts sure to catch your eye. Plus, there’s a small display about Garfield the cat illustrator Jim Davis. The Marion, Indiana native attended Ball State here in Muncie.

Want to go? Since they’re a research library, the hours more limited than you would find at a regular library. Be sure to check their website for updated information.

Parkersburg Carnegie Library

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For the second time in less than a month I found myself standing before a Carnegie Library that is empty and unused. This one is in downtown Parkersburg, West Virginia.

Built in 1905 with some funds from Andrew Carnegie, this classical style building is imposing on its corner lot. Sadly, it hasn’t been a library since 1975.

For several years though it was the Trans Allegheny Book Store. I read once that it was the largest used bookstore in West Virginia.

It had a good run in this capacity from 1985 through 2010. It’s closed now and I couldn’t tell what’s going on. There’s a chain link fence that wouldn’t keep anyone out on one side of the building and a gate in front of the entrance. Some lower windows have been boarded up. It looks like someone is preparing to do something but I couldn’t tell what.

There’s a new Marriott Hotel next door and I couldn’t help but think about this building’s possibilities while worrying for its future. It would make a magnificent restaurant, bookstore, boutique hotel, fancy store – any of number of businesses could find it a perfect home. It sure is a shame to see it sitting empty given all that potential.

If you’re in downtown Parkersburg, swing by 725 Green St. and have a look. If you have a bundle of cash sitting in the way, maybe buy it and and breathe new life into the place!

Greenville Carnegie

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The Carnegie Library in Greenville, Ohio is still in use as a library and has this statue outside.

Isn’t it delightful? Reading really does open up the world and make life more enjoyable.

This library has been well maintained and expanded over more than a century to suit community needs. I read an article about the building where the library director said that new isn’t always better.

Of course, this made my heart sing.

Sometimes our rich history wins and the gorgeous buildings of our past live on.

I’ve stumbled into three Carnegie libraries in the last couple of weeks and have shared something about each of them. Scroll back through my page here to find the others and trust that I’ll move on to something else tomorrow!