Part of Library Postcards: Civic Pride in a Lost America.
The best resource I had found on this topic was the Indiana State Library's Carnegie Library page, which appears to have disappeared.
Modern Indiana libraries are organized at the county level: in some cases there are more than one Carnegie building in a county library.
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Now known as the Alexandria-Monroe Public Library. A 1902 grant resulted in a strangely asymmetric building.
(L) The picture shows another brick building
close to the short side. Card by Weixelbaum.
(C) The only identification on the card is a horseshoe logo on the back.
(R) Silver border 'Clear View' card from the Wayne Paper Box & Prtg. Corp.
Grant obtained in 1902: the library left this fairly standard building in 1987, to expand into a Sears, Roebuck store. (I suppose that somewhere, someone is complaining about the idiots who turn perfectly good retail buildings into libraries.) It apparently sat empty for 10 years and since 1998, houses a Fine Arts Center. The building was restored in 2006, if I interpret the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana site correctly.
(R) Library pictured with Anderson's Central Christian Church. Its framing effect is due to embossing. Postmarked 1909.
(L) Library pictured with the Anderson Post Office on a Curt Teich linen-finish card.
(Lower R) Close-up of a staid Carnegie building. Souvenir Post Card, with entire back, mailed 1909.
Now known as the
Carnegie Library of Steuben County.
The building underwent some heavy renovation in 2003 - 2004.
Began as the Ladies Library Association of
Attica (this has to have been a Michiana thing).
The Neoclassical Carnegie building opened in 1904, was renovated in 1988, and received an addition
in 1995. Still in use.
Information from the state government's site of historical markers.
Late autumn photo on the Gartner & Bender postcard, mailed in 1907.
Grant obtained in 1902: bare-bones building heavily renovated in 1984.
(L) C.U. Williams 'Photoette.'
(R) Rather ordinary monochrome card published by the Owl Drug Store.
Grant obtained in 1903: again, a very basic building. Replaced by the
Bluffton - Wells County Public Library, its fate is unknown.
(But they now have donuts. Dunkin Donuts.)
(L) Rotograph card mailed in 1908.
(R) Hugh C. Leighton card mailed in 1913.
Rather ordinary limestone library enlivened by the frieze,
and what I suspect is a semi-circular stained glass window, over the
doorway. According to the library's
history page,
this is the only Carnegie building marked with carved letters as a donation
from Andrew Carnegie.
I'm not so sure about that.
The card on the left has an entire back. The card on the right is a C.T. American Art Blue Sky postcard, by Curt Teich, of course.
It's a special treat to find an interior picture of a Carnegie building. This interesting shot of the library's original desk and other furnishings is dated 1910. Too bad
that the postcard is in such poor condition.
Built in 1912: a very interesting history was
published by the Brookville American-Democrat upon the Library's centennial.
Did you know that many Carnegie buildings have 13 steps leading to the Library? This symbolizes the 13 Steps to Wisdom. According to the article,
Carnegie thought that young, ambitious people would comprise the majority of the users.
Pish-tosh.
The card was produced in California, by Mike Roberts Color Production, color being the operative word.
The State Library of Indiana waxed positively lyrical about this 1908 Carnegie building, tripled in size in 1991.
Maybe it's just these rather blah cards, but I'm not as impressed.
(L) Black and White brand card.
(R) One of the last classical Curt Teich cards in my collection to be mailed,
it's postmarked 1958.
Built 1901: razed 1969.
Slightly iconoclastic Carnegie building with a strange convex entry. Something about the retouching makes it seem as if the walls are also curved. The library probably had the fan-style stack arrangement used in the smaller buildings built on corner lots.
Built 1901: razed 1969.
Built 1908 - 9: razed 1980. Now known as the Fayette County Public Library. The H. H. Hamm postcard was possibly printed by Curt Teich.
Crawfordsville District Public Library.
From the Indiana State Library:
In 1969 the front steps were removed and a street level entrance installed. In 1977 to 1979 the building next door was renovated and connected to the Carnegie library. In 1996
the special services department was renovated.
An entire back signifies the card predates 1907 and may have been printed shortly after the grant date of 1901.
1906 grant, built in 1908, and replaced in 1972. The library's history page
was excellent, but has gone offline (June, 2010).
Today the Carnegie building is used as a
meeting hall for a fraternal organization.
Two versions of a Vilmer photo. Which was produced in Germany, and which in Chicago by Curt Teich?
Built in 1915: still in use after additions and renovation. Now known as the Culver - Union Township Public Library. History is found on the library's web page, along with some interesting city history and photos.
Built in 1902, with additions
in 1979 and 1999. Merited a two-sided historical marker. Still in use, and still known as
the Danville Public Library.
Yet another Classical Revival library on an entire back postcard, dating between 1902 and 1907.
Originally organized by the Oracle Club.
1904 grant. Still in use after a 1990 addition.
Shouldn't they have known it would become too small?
Attractive, classic
web site with an extensive
history page. It's
interesting to see that they have an interpreter/translator on staff.
It's especially essential any time there's an oracle involved.
Two 1903 grants. Appears to have been replaced.
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| 1938 Curt Teich linen finish card, mailed in 1940. Notice the streetcar tracks in front, which help the building look just that much more like a railroad station. | Charming scene with four girls and a man mowing the lawn. Planters and a fancy brick foundation are Prairie architectural details. A steep (but practical) roof destroys the effect. |
Sky-tint card with a park to the side, and no tracks. |
1901 grant, building completed 1903. Replaced 1963: 60 years is not
a long time, considering how well these
buildings were constructed. In 1969, a bank purchased the building, tearing it down in 1970.
I'd really kvetch, but this
building is not all that special. It's a lot like that of Blue Island, Illinois.
Whoops, that got torn down, too.
Time to start kvetching, boys and girls.
Built in 1903: superceded in 1997 due primarily to wiring problems.
Temporarily used as the Updegraff's Furniture Store Annex in 2006, per a high school
online newspaper, until the heating system quit.
The Library is
now part of the North Madison County Public Library System. These Indiana
folks sure like long library names.
(L) Damaged card mailed in 1909: publisher unknown.
(R) Early Curt Teich C.T. Blue Sky card mailed in 1947.
Two branch libraries of the Evansville/Vanderburgh County Library were built with Carnegie grant money. For more Evansville cards, see my non-Carnegie library page.
Identical twins, unveiled to the public on January 1, 1913. The grant money was approved Janary 6, 1911, per Bobinski.
The card, mailed in 1916, was a product of Chicago's Acmegraph.
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Morphed into the Allen County Public Library, which is one of the most amazing libraries I've had the pleasure to use. Even during library construction, the genealogy collection was accessible and useable. It reminds me of the Oshkosh library--on steroids.
The Carnegie grant came in 1901. As in Rockford, IL, remodeling has obscured the original building.
1906 grant. Does not seem to exist as a library any more.
Built in 1906. With a 1988 addition, still in use. Now known as the Frankfort Community/Clinton County Contractual Public Library. The library's web site is quite accessible and useful. The link above will take you to its history page.
(L) Although the card shows a dotted line evenly dividing its back, it was mailed
as if it were an entire back card in 1908. The attractive card is German (Dresden-
Leipzig-Berlin) and published by the Indiana News Company of Indianapolis.
(R) Dexter Press 'chrome' card, mailed in 1981.
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| Here's a postcard maker for you: Chucks Color-Fotos, Hicksville, Ohio, ©1958. |
Lovely Commercialchrome card, possibly a Curt Teich brand. |
Photo postcard, date uncertain and publisher unknown. |
Built in 1914, and possibly renovated ca. 1995. Still in use.
One of the more surprising members of the Carnegie family (1910 grant).
It received a 1939 addition,
but by 1955, it was outmoded, out of repair, and
was demolished between 1962 and 1964.
Shuttered to the public ca. 2011, the Administrative Offices building is its replacement. Four branches remain to serve the public.
Pieces of the system's history are found on Wikipedia, as well as on a new history page on the library's web site.
Cards 2 and 4 are by E.C. Kropp, and the photo card is unattributed.
This is it!
The very first
Indiana Carnegie Library, dating
from a 1901 grant.
Beaux-Arts building, designed by Patton and Miller of Chicago, IL, was superceded in 1968. It was restored in 2004, and now serves as the Goshen City Hall.
(L) Very early E.C. Kropp (No. 3175) with
entire back. If there is such a fault, perhaps the hand-coloring
is a little too subtle.
(R) German card displays the wording and date above the entrance.
(L) Kind of a disappointing DePauw souvenir, in my opinion.
(R) Attractive German Litho-Chrome card, mailed in 1910.
1902 grant. If the 1905 date on the DePauw card is correct, the builders
took some care to preserve the surrounding trees.
The library is still in use, but has been modified.
Surprisingly well documented
library.
Finished in 1905, the library was built on the site of an old foundry. In
1994, it outgrew the Carnegie building, and is now known by the unwieldy
moniker of the Greensburg/Decatur County Contractural Public Library.
The building now serves as a
city building,
and has been treated with sensitivity.
(L) The back of this C.T. American Art Duotone card is stamped
'Sample from New York Office//Alfred Robbins//11 West 42nd St. New York//
Lackawanna 5766'
(R) The photograph on the postcard bears the attribution
'St. John & Guthrie.'
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Not sure if it's a Carnegie public library?
Visit my postcards of unusual and large public libraries, or
my tribute to Romanesque library buildings.
© 2007 - 2013 Judy Aulik
Separated from
Indiana Public Libraries on 01 January 2008.
Divided in June, 2008.
Updated April 2013.
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