The best resource I have found on this topic is the Indiana State Library's Carnegie Library page.
1904 Carnegie grant. Razed, 1967. Photos of the demolition on this history page. I wonder what was in that cornerstone?
I believe the building on the far right of the postcard has 'HOLST' painted in it. This is an E.C. Kropp card. They tended to leave in small, cryptic details.
Built 1901. Currently (since 1987) used as an instructional center for schools.
Lefthand card (early C.T. Photochrom) mailed 1915; righthand, 1908.
Sepia card dates from 1907. In anticipation of postal regulation change, the reverse of the divided back says,'After Feb. 28, 1907, the space below may be used for correspondence.'
Now known as the Kentland Jefferson Township Library.
According to the website, the library is in need of a new facility. I really hope they don't destroy this beautiful 1912 Carnegie building.
The card isn't exactly made with high production values. It seems to date from the WWI era anti-German sentiments and embargoes. This is the only card I've seen by the Hoover-Watson Printing Company of Indianapolis.
Grant: 1902.
Dueling libraries.
Note how their
website cleverly evades the point that the Carnegie
building is toast. The State Library of Indiana confirms it:
1965. The system is now
known as the Kokomo - Howard County Public Library.
I can't find any significant history on the La Porte County Library web site, but it does look as if the library is still in use. Six branches might be why.
This is a Curt Teich card of the 'American Art' series.
Still in use, but the 1905 building was heavily renovated in 1991. The card was mailed in early 1941, apparently from Miss Witt, a sixth grade teacher (probably in Indianapolis), to one of her departing students.
Like most of the Wayne Paper Box and Printing Co's. postcards, the picture lives up to the Clear View trademark.
1904 - 1941
Burned down on March 17, 1941.
Logansport Cass County Library is not the luckiest organization in the library world. In 1924, it also lost its County Book Wagon in a fire.
Ironically, this card has smoke damage, and was mailed in 1955.
Library now known as the Mishawaka-Penn Public Library.
Carnegie building built in 1916; added to as a WPA project in 1937-8; and closed in 1969. Happily, it still stands in the Local Historic District. (It looks like it stands to use a little maintenance, too.)
1901 grant. Muncie, Indiana also had the Hemingray
insulator factory.
(Hemingray Insulators would be a great PC
name for a football team.)
By the way, someone forgot to add
the candy stripes to the awnings. Tsk, tsk.
Card postmarked 1916.
Text blatantly swiped from the Indiana Historical Society website:
New Albany School Board organized a public library on May 8, 1884. This library building, supported with funds from Andrew Carnegie, opened on March 2, 1904 with 11,125 volumes. Building is Neoclassical style, constructed of brick and limestone. Public Library moved to new building 1969. Floyd County Museum opened here 1971. Carnegie building included in Downtown Historic District, listed in National Register of Historic Places 1999. One of 1,679 libraries built in U.S. with funds from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Indiana built more Carnegie libraries than any other state.
The card of the German card is unevenly divided, but I can't make out the date on the postmark.
1901 Carnegie grant.
Surprise, surprise! This building is
still in use. Again, it took some research to find out that this is a
Carnegie building.
Goshen's library site filled in the list for me.
This is about the bottom of the barrel in publishing quality. No wonder there is no statement of responsibility.
The fact that this is an entire back card makes me a
little forgiving of Josephine Shuey. Mailed just a little more than a century ago, this card shows horticultural works in
progress and a hand-colored sky.
(Especially if the hand was anoxic)
The publisher was O.L. Hall, 'The Bookman,' Portland, Ind.:
the printer, Sol-Art Prints by the Rotograph Company of New York.
The card was physically produced in Germany.
1903 grant, per Bobinski's Carnegie Libraries (1969). Appears to still be in use.
1917 grant.
It looks as if the old building is still in use with a large addition. The early history is also found on the site, but not that of the Carnegie building.
The entrance to this building is, well, odd. The peaked lintel is embedded in a section of some type of vitreous tile or glass. It looks miniaturized as a result.
Still in use,
more or less as is. Wow.
It's now known as the Sullivan County Public Library. The county district is unusual in
that it encompasses the 1903 Sullivan Carnegie building and the 1917
Merom building.
Make certain that you tour the library to see how a Carnegie building has been adapted to the 21st century.
Commercialchrome card with a divided back.
1901 grant, built with a stained glass dome, which must have had some sort of protection from hail to have survived nearly 100 years. 8,500 sq. ft. addition in 1972.
Clear View brand postcard whose photo quality lives up to the name.
I have no words. This is an amazing
library building. Built 1905, it stands on land
donated by the Standard Oil Company of Indiana, aka. Amoco, now known as bp.
Architect Paul Moratz certainly made
his mark on Indiana as well as Illinois.
This is a Curt Teich 'C.T. Art-Colortone' card, which is unbelievably less colorful than the original.
Looking for Ohio Carnegie Libraries?
Looking for Wisconsin Carnegie Libraries?
Looking for Illinois Carnegie Libraries?
Looking for Iowa Public Libraries?
Looking for Other Carnegie Libraries?
Looking for the Library of Congress and other odd libraries? Go to my special library postcard page.
Not sure if it's a Carnegie public library? Visit my postcards of unusual and large public libraries.
© 2007-2008 Judy Aulik
Separated from
Indiana Public Libraries on 01 January 2008.
Indiana Carnegie Libraries divided 21 June 2008.
A - G.