If you have linked to this page, and your interests lie with the libraries
between E and H, please change the link to:
http://home.comcast.net/~jaulik/carnileg.html.
Illinois communities tended to know a good thing when they
saw it: hence, many accepted Carnegie funding. The 105 state
Carnegie library count does not include college libraries
(North Central, Monmouth).
As I approach finding cards of all the cities,
I have had to divide this page once more, into A - D and E - G;
H - M and
N - Z.
1903 Carnegie grant, built 1905. On the National Register.
The main construction of this building resembles that of
Tuscola, Illinois. Note the dome.
It also says 'Arcola Public Library' along the sides of the triangular space above the
entrance.
I wonder if the garage in the background belonged to the library, and if so, what was it used for. I don't think this photo was taken that much more recently than the 1905 opening.
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Built in 1904 from a 1901 grant, according to the Bials, on an island. (I don't know Aurora well enough to confirm.) Remodeled from 1942 - 1958. Remodeled again in 1969, receiving its 3-story wings.
(L) It was sent in an unusual manner: the embossed postage from an envelope was cut out and pasted to mail it
(1906).
(C) An attractive dead-on view.
(R) Post-apocalyptic view?
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(L) Ivy creepeth.
Who knows what season it is in the Hemisphere of the newer
cards?
(C) The pink tree looks like a flowering crab. The trees to the right are changing for the autumn.
The card was published by Paul P. Vogel Co., of Chicago. There seems to be some reason why I had never heard of them prior to adding this card to my collection.
(R) The rightmost card is a classic linen-finish card.
1903 Carnegie grant, built 1904. Replaced in 2000.
In my opinion, the new Beardstown Houston Memorial Library is prettier than the old. I'm not a total Luddite.
(L) Apologies for this 1910 card. Its color concepts were a touch suspect even before
someone used it as a tea bag.
(R) Card features the Beardstown City Hall and the library, perched awkwardly on a
high foundation.
Belvidere is one of only 4 Illinois libraries to earn a section in Heart of the Community: Libraries We Love.
Built in 1913, remodeled in 1985, and still in use, Ida Public Library looks much the same as on the postcards. You can spot it from the original U.S. 20 (Grant Highway; Blue Star Highway) route, North State Street, in Belvidere.
Although the same architects (Grant Miller, of Patton and Miller) built Ida Public and the Freeport Carnegie Libraries (below), they are strikingly different. In reality, Ida Public looks strongly Prairie-style.
1903 - 1970
This wasn't one of the finest
examples of a Carnegie Library. Both images indicate stone construction,
perhaps extracted from local limestone quarries.
The RPPC seems
to have been photographed later than the left hand card, but a lot of
linen cards and similar have had a lot of license taken with
the image. The Real Photo card has attribution: Genuine Photograph
C.R. Childs, Photograph post Cards, Chicago.
The current library stands on this site.
Curt Teich postcard mailed sometime after 1938.
Carnegie money received in 1914. Despite the late date of construction, this is one of the more Prairie-influenced
Carnegie libraries.
Library was to move into a new facility
in the 1980s, according to the Bials, but the Carnegie building was still in use in 1991.
Opened in 1903. This is one of those buildings that could be a post office, a library, or what have you.
The photo on its website shows that the exterior has not changed one whit.
Dedicated 1903; nearly destroyed in a 1936 fire;
additions built, 1970 - 1972.
(L) Earliest card: unevenly divided back from
Acmegraph.
(R) 1937 postmark on an older card. Centralia
is far enough south that this building took on a
antebellum appearance.
Note the different shades of brown used for the bricks among the cards.
Centralia's Carnegie Library started off looking normal in this early card. Notice the size of the trees.
Then came the atomic age. The eerie pink glow over the roof may have presaged the A-bomb scare of the late '50s. The right hand card, published by the Southern Illinois News Company of Christopher, Illinois, has a older feel to it than the 1954 postmark indicates.
1901 grant, in use with additions.
It still seems a trifle small for a university (EIU) town.
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| View showing Post Office, Public Library and C. & E. I. Depot, Chicago Heights, Ill. |
Carnegie building opened September 11, 1903, at 1627 Halstead Street. Superceded 1972. Demolished 1974.
History from library's web site, except for one teensy fact: the demolition.
Built 1904. Typical building, except for its tile roof. Raphael Tuck and Sons
attempted to make the roof more exciting yet.
Insufficient by 1911:
failed to obtain more funding from the Foundation.
Currently used as the
Vermilion County War museum. The building has been entered on the Illinois Register of Historic Places. Building replaced and was closed on 9/30/95, according to the history contained in the library's webpage.
Built 1903: in use for 70 years according to the Decatur Genealogical Society's website. Bial and Bial state that it was demolished
in 1970 due to renovation cost projections. Then the library moved into a 'thoroughly remodeled
former Sears, Roebuck store.' In 1999, the library moved to its
current building, which certainly beats a Sears store.
Such is life.
Card mailed 1910. Strong resemblance to Aurora's Carnegie Library.
Beware DPL's website: not only is it headache inducing, there are no pictures of the Carnegie building.
This is the first
Des Plaines library, built 1907.
It was torn down in the late 1930s in favor of a new city hall,
which held the library collection in one wing. Visit my
non-Carnegie Library page for Illinois to see its replacement.
Again, the Carnegie building is better--and perhaps, a touch larger.
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| New Public Library, Downers Grove, Ill. | 1924 postmark. | 1932 postmark. Card embossed 'Delmar Photos Elmhurst, Ill.' |
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| Curt Teich postcard. 'Public Library, Downers Grove, Illinois. A beautiful public building serving a modern progressive community' |
ca. 1961 L.L. Cook card. |
This DuPage County library building was completed in 1915, cruelly remodeled in the late 1950s (as seen above), torn down in 1975, and replaced in 1977. The new building, in turn, was extensively modified in 1999.
At this point, the only way to see the non-linked libraries is to visit the pertinent IHPA site.
| Illinois Public Libraries | Illinois Carnegie Libraries | Wisconsin Carnegie Libraries | Iowa Carnegie Libraries | Indiana Carnegie Libraries | Home |
| A - G H - W | E - G H - M N - Z | A - J K - R S - W | Iowa Public Libraries | Indiana Public Libraries |
All text is under copyright by the author. Cards are presented for scholarly study: most are significantly older than 1928. You may link, and even deep-link to its pages, but you may not claim any part as your own nor link to individual images.
©2003-2008 Judy Aulik
Carnegie libraries divided on 30 January 2007.
Trisected on 24 April 2008.
Quartered on 13 December 2008.
Updated 11 November 2009.