Carnegie Libraries in Illinois

Albertype of Rockford Public Library on the Rock River.


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 College, Naperville; Monmouth College).

As I approach finding cards of all the cities, I have had to divide this page once more, into A - D, E - G, H - M, N - R, and S - Z.

 Edwardsville

The web site is a little different. However, it's quite easy to navigate.
Its history page is bereft of pictures, but is quite well written by authors Amy Anson, Kevin Becker, and Amanda Endicott.
To summarize, the 1903 Carnegie building first needed renovation in the 1950s. During this period, a 1956 fire essentially gutted the building. It reopened in 1957. 1964 saw an addition, as did 1989.

The early C.T. American Art card was mailed in 1924.


 El Paso

I adore this little fairy castle of a Carnegie Library.

Card produced by C.U. Williams, Photoette, Bloomington, Ill. and mailed in 1910. See a more recent picture on the city's web site.
See a more attractive vintage post card on the library's web site.
Incidentally, El Paso was the last Illinois community to adopt direct dial telephones.


 Evanston

1907 - 1975

According to Evanston Public Library Lore on its web site, a $50,000 Carnegie grant built this building.

What they don't tell you is that it took many years of wrangling to get it done. In 1903, they got one grant. A 1906 grant request was turned down. The building was opened in 1907. The grant was renewed in 1914, and more construction took place in 1915. (Here, the Bials are unclear. I bet there are some missing EPL records.) After all that hassle, they moved in 1960.

 Farmington

1906 grant: still in use, but with altered windows.

I seem to remember this building from the late 1970s. Even then, it needed a little TLC for its curb appeal.

(L) Card from the Auburn Post Card Manufacturing Co., which seems to have had some connection with the Ft. Wayne Box & Printing Co. Both publishers had quite variable quality standards.
(R) W.C. Pine Co. card with strange white blotch above the steps, and an unusual typescript caption.


 Flora

1903 - 1990

This is the only Illinois Carnegie library building I know of which was condemned.
On their recently upgraded web site, Flora Public Library titles this page, 'A Brief History of the Flora Public Library.'

Read the rules section. I like 7 - 10 the best.


 Freeport

1901 Carnegie grant. Replaced in 2004. Still in limbo. The library's featured photo of the new building looks like Ed Ruscha had a hand in it.

John Cook, Freeport historian, lists libraries built by Patton and Miller, including Carnegie Libraries in Belvidere (Ida Public), Polo (Buffalo Twp.), Freeport, and Warren. The Freeport Library was the oldest Carnegie library still in use in Illinois.
The German card (R) appears to have been made by the same printer who published the Decatur card and several others on these pages.
(R) 'We are very proud of our library'
It's not that I'm as proud of your library: there seem to be an inordinate number of different cards of it about.

 Fulton (Schmaling Memorial Library)


1908 Carnegie grant, opened in 1909. Still in use.
Full history on the library's site.

What an fulminatingly ugly card!
Worse yet, A.D. Mitchell used it to advertise his second-rate cards:



A.D. Mitchell & Son
Fulton, Illinois

Have the largest and most up-to-date line in the city. Local views, birthday greetings, etc. Colored cards like this one - Main Street, School, Library and Bridge - each (one) ............1¢

 Galena

Federal-style adaptation of the Carnegie plan.

Library's site contains an excellently written history of its existence. I would gladly pay 10 cents for a catalogue of holdings!

Supposedly, the Peabody, Kansas Carnegie Library shared the same plans with this building, but it isn't an obvious relationship. Maybe fraternal, not identical twins?


(L) No card attribution, but with an entire back, it dates between the 1905 grant and the 1907 demise of the entire back postcard.
(R) Tremendous interior scene by Curt Teich (C.T. Photochrom) for E.W. Kempter of Galena. Notice that it had gas lighting.*

I claim the square table next to the window.

Apparently the books were shelved according to color.

*Despite the fact that so many of these buildings did not have electricity early on, I don't know of any fires or explosions caused by gas.


 Galesburg

Built 1901-2, the Galesburg Carnegie Library was lost to fire on May 9, 1958.
It's an Italianate building with some odd little portholes on the roofline.
The library's web site calls the building Romanesque. I don't. You may. Moot point. It burnt. Frieze reads:

HOMER   VERGIL   BACON    CHAUCER   SHAKESPEARE    MILTON   DARWIN   DANTE   ARISTOTEL

Faithfully reproduced as the card (L) below reads.


(R) Suhling Co. of Chicago published this meh self-framed card.


(L) Blame the E.C. Kropp Co. for the bad spellings.
(R) Card dated Oct. 1908, but never mailed.
The city post office (the red brick building) is a bonus on the S.H. Knox postcard.

 Galva

(L) Monochrome card featuring original structure. The 1929 addition seems to postdate this card.
(R) Art View card, printed in Cambridge, Illinois.

1907 grant: 1909 dedication. Galva's Carnegie building has an interesting blend of styles, perhaps a combination of Tudor and Prairie (see also the Geneva card below) after expansion.

The library's site has a fairly thorough history.


 Geneva

1907 grant: still in use.

Geneva, St. Charles, and Batavia essentially form a single community. St. Charles' library was also a Carnegie building, albeit more of a 'typical' one. This is a very attractive Tudor-style limestone building. It looks a little like a ski lodge to me.




 Gilman

One of Illinois' last grants: 1915. Replaced in 2005.

(L) Curt Teich 'Photo-finish' card. The code, 115289, does not seem to correlate with the known coding scheme published by the Lake County Forest Preserves' Curt Teich Postcard Archives. Probably not visible to the reader are the stained glass upper window panes.
(R) Curt Teich 'Blue-Sky' card, also coded 115289.




 Grayville


1911 grant.

The enlargement on the left is about as good as it gets here. The card was mailed, to Canada, in 1913.

I haven't found any significant information about this building online, but it still includes 'Carnegie' in its name.
The library is part of the Shawnee Library System.




 Greenville

Brownette card by C.U. Williams of Bloomington

On the National Registry of Historic Places.

Similar to Fairbury's Dominy Library, and to Sycamore's and to Paxton's libraries.
A 1905 Carnegie grant made this building possible, and it appears from city and library websites that it hasn't been altered one bit. It contains the Bond Co. Historical Society and a noteable genealogical collection.
Obviously, microfilm is their friend.

 Illinois Carnegie Libraries Listed by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency

At this point, the only way to see the non-linked libraries is to visit the pertinent IHPA site.

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That obligatory disclaimer

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.

©2003-2009 Judy Aulik

Carnegie libraries divided on 30 January 2007.
Quartered and updated on 13 December 2008.
Last update: 11 November 2009.

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