Posted May 18, 200718 yr Who doesn't love Carnegie Libraries? Ohio built the third largest number of Carnegie Libraries, constructing 111 libraries with 78 grants. While many are the typical Carnegie school of design (central entrance with columns, etc.), Ohio has a diverse collection of styles from Victorian Romanesque (Steubenville) to Federal (Wauseon) to a mix of Second Renaissance and Georgian Revival (East Liverpool). Of those 111: -60 remain libraries (or part of libraries) -35 have been adapted for reuse, many as law offices and libraries or historical museums, etc -10 have been demolished -6 sit vacant Those demolished: -Alliance (1974) -Celina (1968) -West End Branch - Cincinnati (1947) -Woodland Branch - Cleveland (fire in 1957) -West Branch - Dayton (fire in 1979) -Lima (1961) -Marysville (1997) -Mott Branch - Toledo (1980) -Kent Branch - Toledo (fire in 1974) -Wooster (1966) Those vacant: -South Brooklyn Branch - Cleveland (closed in 1936) -Superior Branch - Cleveland (closed in 1990) -Coshocton (closed in 1973) -Middletown (closed in 1983) -Xenia (closed in 1978) -Conneaut (closed in 2003) *Compiled from Carnegie Libraries in Ohio by Mary Ellen Armentrout. The book features images of all 111 libraries, along with a history of each. I'd highly recommend checking one out. Lebanon, constructed in 1908, received a restoration and sensitive addition in 1988. The library is one of only two in Ohio with a corner entrance and is a showpiece in downtown. Middletown, built in 1911, was vacated in 1983 when the city built a big-box style library closer to downtown. It was used as a homeless shelter for several years but is vacant today. Oxford/Miami U., which opened in 1910, was vacated as a library in 1972 and became home to the Dept. of Architecture and Interior Design. In the mid-90's, it underwent a major renovation which preserved the integrity of the structure. Xenia, completed in 1906, has sat vacant since 1978 as several reuse plans never materialized. Dayton's East Branch was completed in 1914 and used until the mid-60's. After sitting vacant, the city renovated the building for the Southeast Priority Board Offices and a neighborhood center and clinic. Coshocton, the 1000th Carnegie Library, has sat vacant and decaying since 1973 when the library moved into the vacated historic post office.
May 18, 200718 yr great thread. i always wondered ho many carnegie libraries were around. some of them look just like old high schools of the day.
May 18, 200718 yr The Coshocton one is really a shame. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 18, 200718 yr That's too bad about the Coshocton one, that was probably my favorite that you posted.
May 29, 200718 yr Germantown's is a classic Carnegie design scaled perfectly for the town. Today the old library houses the Germantown Historical Society.
May 29, 200718 yr This is my childhood Carnegie Library in Galion... still live within a stone's throw of it (not that I would do such a thing!)... tastefully expanded to the rear in the late 1980s.
June 4, 200718 yr 1 day, 8 Carnegies: Columbus, still a library The back of the original building was left exposed with the huge expansion to the rear. Delaware, now a county building Marion, owned by a church Upper Sandusky Tiffin, now a county building Bucyrus, still a library An 80's addition makes the building look a little odd Galion, still a library Since Galion doesn't bother to turn on their water fountains, I had to go in for a drink and found a great window. Mansfield, still a library
November 2, 200717 yr I thought I'd add a few more... Akron Milan - twin to Ripley Warren Bellfountaine Bryan Kenton Sandusky
December 18, 200915 yr Ashtabula Bellevue Canton Cedarville Chillicothe Conneaut Defiance (photo by the pope) Gallipolis (photo by SummitStreet) Geneva Madison Norwood Oberlin Paulding Wilmington
December 18, 200915 yr A few more from ebay postcards... Alliance (demolished) Athens/Ohio University Cleveland - Carnegie West Cleveland - Woodland (destroyed by fire) Greenville Kent Lima (demolished) Lorain Marietta/Marietta College Napoleon Salem Steubenville Washington Court House Westerville/Otterbein College Youngstown
December 18, 200915 yr Lakewood In 1954, the front facade was ripped off and the building was expanded. A wonderful Robert A.M. Stern addition has since been made, but it is still disappointing.
December 31, 200915 yr I've driven by that building in Gallipolis a hundred times and never realized it was a Carnegie, very cool.
January 9, 201015 yr I was in Cleveland a couple weekends ago and grabbed a bunch of Carnegies as I was exploring. Cleveland built 15 Carnegie branches, but only six still operate. While the closed branches have generally found other uses, two libraries sit vacant. One of the vacant branches, Superior on E. 105th, will soon be demolished. CLEVELAND Carnegie West Lorain Carnegie South Miles Park Broadway Brooklyn Sterling Hough St. Clair Quincy
January 9, 201015 yr Cincinnati did a great job preserving their Carnegie branches. Six of eight original Carnegies still operate, the small West End branch was demolished (with the neighborhood) and Columbia Tusculum is a community center. CINCINNATI Cumminsville Corryville Hyde Park (altered with porch) Walnut Hills Avondale Columbia Tusculum Price Hill
January 12, 201015 yr I saw this one on Jefferson Ave in Cleveland's Tremont. Were these later, simpler editions of Carnegies? It sort of looks like the Brooklyn branch you have pictured. Sorry, btw, if this is already in this thread...
January 12, 201015 yr Were these later, simpler editions of Carnegies? It sort of looks like the Brooklyn branch you have pictured. Indeed. Cleveland built its 15 Carnegies between 1905 and 1920. The Jefferson and Brooklyn branches were not built until 1918 and 1919. Both used the same plans as the East 79th branch, but have much more basic facades due to limited funding and building materials during WWI. Superior was the only branch constructed after Jefferson and Brooklyn and bears a closer resemblence to East 79th. The building is currently scheduled for demolition. Superior from buckeye1's Glenville thread:
December 18, 201014 yr And a few more from this year's travels... Kent Clyde Rockford Greenville Westerville
December 18, 201014 yr Miamisburg: Once upon a time: The "Carnegie Center" is now a meeting & reception facility with a stage addition in front that is used during city festivals such as the Spring Fling: The replacement library, built in the the 1980s, is located next door:
December 1, 201410 yr Medina's original library was a Carnegie library in all but name. A local Philanthropist named Franklin Sylvester paid for it and it was originally named after him. Is that unusual? Perhaps they should be included. Just a thought. Medina's Franklin Sylvester Library - views c1910, the 1950's and 1975.
December 1, 201410 yr Lorain Historical Society hosts open house, ice cream social for Carnegie Library opening By Richard Payerchin, The Morning Journal POSTED: 08/17/14, 11:16 PM EDT | UPDATED: ON 08/18/2014 1 COMMENT http://www.morningjournal.com/general-news/20140818/lorain-historical-society-hosts-open-house-ice-cream-social-for-carnegie-library-openingRichard Payerchin/[email protected] The line stretches out the door and into the parking lot as people wait to see the Lorain Historical Society's renovated Carnegie Center on Aug. 17. The society's open house and ice cream social drew about 600 people to the former Carnegie Library at Streator Park. Lorain’s former Carnegie Library was reborn as the Lorain Historical Society’s Carnegie Center museum and offices on Aug. 17. The line to get into the center stretched out the door and into the parking lot as at least 600 people came out for an open house and ice cream social to celebrate the grand reopening of the building at 329 W. 10th St., in Streator Park... --------------------- Historical society nears start of second phase of Carnegie Center renovation Filed on August 11, 2014 by Evan Goodenow http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2014/08/11/historical-society-close-starting-second-phase-project-fixing-carnegie-center/ LORAIN — The Carnegie Center celebrates Lorain’s past, but organizers say it’s also about the city’s future. Among the exhibits at the former Carnegie Library will be a display board with key words about the future of the city such as collaboration, ethnic culture, schools and waterfront. The idea is to inspire ideas to improve Lorain by being forward-thinking...
December 2, 201410 yr Medina's original library was a Carnegie library in all but name. A local Philanthropist named Franklin Sylvester paid for it and it was originally named after him. Is that unusual? Perhaps they should be included. Just a thought. yeah, this was a similar situation as Painesville. Lewis Morley was a wealthy local businessman (or maybe he didn't do anything--he was just rich!) who donated the funds to build the public library--named for him--during the same era as Carnegie. The original library (1st pic) was demolished almost ten years ago and replaced by a much larger building on the same block-- http://www.mainstreetpainesville.org/
December 5, 201410 yr Medina's original library was a Carnegie library in all but name. A local Philanthropist named Franklin Sylvester paid for it and it was originally named after him. Is that unusual? Perhaps they should be included. Just a thought. yeah, this was a similar situation as Painesville. Lewis Morley was a wealthy local businessman (or maybe he didn't do anything--he was just rich!) who donated the funds to build the public library--named for him--during the same era as Carnegie. I don't have a picture, but a similar situation happened in Ravenna with the Reed Memorial Library. Thankfully their original building still stands but has a half dozen additions growing out of the side of it.
December 5, 201410 yr Medina's original library was a Carnegie library in all but name. A local Philanthropist named Franklin Sylvester paid for it and it was originally named after him. Is that unusual? Perhaps they should be included. Just a thought. yeah, this was a similar situation as Painesville. Lewis Morley was a wealthy local businessman (or maybe he didn't do anything--he was just rich!) who donated the funds to build the public library--named for him--during the same era as Carnegie. I don't have a picture, but a similar situation happened in Ravenna with the Reed Memorial Library. Thankfully their original building still stands but has a half dozen additions growing out of the side of it. Morley Library had added a couple of wings over the years but apparently it had become too unwieldy to continue like that. However, they were able to save some architectural elements of the original building (which dated from 1899) and incorporate them into the new, like this fireplace and the leaded glass windows-- http://www.mainstreetpainesville.org/
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