The best resource I had found on this topic was 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?
(L) Library in city street context.
Shed to the right of the library reads 'LION S ORE.' Spiffy Acmegraph card.
(R) It looks like the building on the far right of the postcard has 'HOLST' painted on it.
This is an E.C. Kropp card. They tended to leave in small, cryptic details.
1903 Carnegie grant. Still in use. The library's web site plays an unexpected, jaunty tune.
(L) Rather unattractive card, unattributed.
(R) Imitation 'Blue sky' card by the Auburn Post Card Manufacturing Co., never mailed.
Built 1901. Currently (since 1987) used as an instructional center for schools.
Lefthand card (early C.T. Photochrom) mailed 1915; righthand, 1908.
See East Chicago for details.
1902 grant. I don't know when it was replaced, but it has been used by IU-Southeast for classrooms, before
its stint as a local history museum.
Now operated as the
Remnant Trust repository for rare works and documents.
(L) 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.'
(R) Curt Teich linen finish card includes the city's post office.
1912 grant.
(L) Curt Teich card from the 1920s.
(R) Side view in linen finish published by the Sturgis News Agency. Quite possibly printed by MWM.
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.
1911 grant. Not known if this is still in use.
Black and White brand card may be a Curt Teich product.
Teich seems to have had some other brand names, including Octochrome, Sky-Tint, Commercialchrome,
and Black and White.
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.
1907 grant. Addition dates from 1975. Still in use.
Notice the zig-zag trim near the roofline. The brick building appears to have been painted in this picture, which dates from either 1907 or 1908.
1904 - 1941. RIP.
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.
(L) Isn't the Carnegie building tiny compared to the mighty high school?
(R) Attractive Harry H. Hamm card in the white border style.
Some information from an impressive site, WikiMarion.
1901 grant. The building looks like a 'Mini-Me' for the Indianapolis library. It served other community purposes during its 90 year tenure, including holding a kindergarten. Converted to a museum in 1991.
All three postcards I have seen of this library feature the same angle. The one I am sharing is that by S.H. Knox.
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.)
1903 grant. 1954 addition. Replaced in
1991.
Now houses the White County Historical Society.
Very spooky looking building that the foxing spots do nothing to improve. The manufacturer of this card is unknown.
1901 grant. Now known as Local History and Genealogy at Carnegie.
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.
1910 Carnegie grant.
Library appears to be in use, but with a significant
addition.
Glossy monochrome card by the B.H. Grimes Company, of Frankfort, mailed in 1914.
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.
I've replaced the hideous card formerly on this page with two attractive ones. The one on the right, by S.H. Knox, is the older.
1901 grant. Replaced. Fate unknown.
1901 grant.
(L) Highly religious Mae sent this card in 1909. Notice the unusual plantings,
which include elephant ear plants. Mae also sent another Portland library postcard later
that year (not shown).
(R) 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.
1903 grant, per the Waymarking site and Bobinski. Outmoded in 1992. Still in use as the Carnegie Center.
Bully for Rensselaer!
Card published by H.G. Zimmerman & Co. of Chicago.
Late 1904 grant: subsequently replaced.
The fate of the Carnegie building is unknown to me.
Rochester's library is now part of the
Fulton County Public Library.
Card came from the Rochester Bazaar, but may be a C.U. Williams 'Photo-ette.'
1917 grant.
It looks as if the old building is still in use with a large addition.
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.
Seymour's most prominent son: John Mellencamp.
1903 Carnegie grant.
The library is now part of the Jackson County Public Library. I can't find evidence that the Carnegie building still exists: however, the address on its website is also on West Second Street, the address on this Curt Teich 'C.T. Photo-Finish' card.
1901 Carnegie grant.
Still in use, with an inharmonious addition, as the Shelbyville
Shelby County Library.
This Dexter Press card probably dates from the late 1940s or early 1950s.
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.
1917 Carnegie grant: building finally opened in 1921. It doesn't look as if a dime
was wasted on any frills.
Although the library's website gives details of its early history, it doesn't
say whether the Carnegie building is still in use.
This is an Auburn Post Card.
Another late grant (1916).
Heavily remodeled in 1967 and 1982.
Replaced in 2002. Fate unknown.
Delightfully detailed Curt Teich card. Notice the retaining walls. I believe that the building behind was a school.
Tipton, Iowa's Carnegie grant came only three months after this March, 1902 grant.
Damaged structurally (the
library does not say how) in 1981 and
replaced.
Lithochrome card with message dated in September, 1921. The building strongly resembles the Carnegie building in Hoopeston, Illinois.
1903 grant. Interesting photo gallery at the Preservation Society of Union City IN-OH site. It doesn't confirm that the Carnegie building is still a library, however.
(L) Early monochrome card from the Illustrated Post Card Company of New York.
(R) Commercialchrome card with a divided back.
Odd mashup of Italianate and Prairie styles.
1906 grant, per Bobinski. 1911 grant, per the Porter County Public Library System 's history page. Building replaced in 1984. Status unknown.
'Commercialchrome' card mailed late 1921.
1901 grant.
Noted for its stained glass dome. 8,500 sq. ft. addition in 1972.
(L) Clear View brand postcard whose photo quality lives up to the name.
(R) E.C. Kropp glossy card. There's a small detail of a pile of junk in front of the shed
on the right, in the background.
1901 grant.
Proud of
its 107 years of use. Heavily (but attractively)
remodeled.
Gilbert card for B.H. Grimes. There is a fountain to the left of the card.
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.
(L) Behold a Curt Teich 'C.T. Art-Colortone' card, which is unbelievably less
colorful than the original.
(R) Older P.L. Huckins card that shows more detail.
1911 grant. The library's history
page states that the grant was received in 1914, and the building opened in 1916. It was remodeled in 1983 and 1997.
Anyway, it's still in use as the Pulaski County Public Library.
Other iterations include:
1953: Winamac-Monroe Public Library
1965: Pulaski County Public Library
Grogan Photo Company, of Danville, Il, photo card. The style of awnings is mid-century. If the name is correct as 'Winamac Library,' the card likely dates between the late 1940s and 1953.
1906 grant.
Not quite as spectacular as the Winchester, Illinois Carnegie library building, but quite pleasing in its own right.
Another 'Commercialchrome' card.
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© 2007-2009 Judy Aulik
Separated from
Indiana Public Libraries on 01 January 2008.
Indiana Carnegie Libraries divided 21 June 2008.
Updated 12 September 2009.
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