Ohio is traditionally considered to have the best public library service among the states. They certainly started off with a boatload of Carnegie grant money.
Note that the Dayton card (left) shows two Carnegie branch buildings plus its signature Romanesque main library.
1904 - 199x
Apparently the ca. 1993 building of the
Delaware County District Library
replaced the Carnegie building. The new building was
remodeled in 2004. Where do they get
their money?
Oh, I think I can answer this.
There is now a room dedicated to the history of
harness racing.
3 storeys; no waiting.
(L) Souvenir of East Liverpool, Ohio. The glitter spells it out for you.
(R) Card by I. Robbins and Son out of Pittsburgh.
1899 grant, building finished in 1902. This was the third East Liverpool library building. Some renovation has taken place since.
(L) Mc Clean Drinking Fountain and Public Library.
I smile when I see 'Mc Clean drinking fountain.' I don't know
when that dates from, but the library building dates from a 1903
Carnegie grant. The attractive linen-finish card was mailed in 1949.
(R) Marchion Studio photo used on a Curt Teich card.
Still in use, with a 1968 and a 1989 addition. I don't know about the 'Mc Clean' drinking fountain.
|
|
|
(L) Early (ca. 1906) monochrome card.
(C) Tinted card with unevenly divided back.
(R) Postcard scan courtesy of the Galion Public
Library.
Did you know that the library began in a log cabin?
The Carnegie grant came in 1904. Expansion of the lovely Carnegie building came in 1991.
 |
 |
 | Divided back. | ca. 1910. | 1933 Curt Teich 'C.T. Art-Colortone.' |
Several views of an 1901 Carnegie library.
The precursor was the 1889 Free School Library. This building was recently renovated. It's huge!
(L) Delicately colored early glossy card: publisher unknown.
(C) Monochrome view, possibly from the same photograph.
(R) This Curt Teich linen finish card is a little discolored with age. Then again, someone
had a rather lurid day in its production.
1902 grant; Richards, McCarty and Bulford were its
architects. Opened 1905. Renamed 'Hardin County District Library'
in 1936. Replacement building dedicated 1969. Renamed
'Mary Lou Johnson - Hardin County District Library' in 1977.
Building now used by Kenton Dental Care, per Shari Laster.
Early C.T. American Art card sent in 1916. A 'W' in a diamond also appears on the card: could this have been sold at Woolworth's?
Large ($30,000) grant in 1901. One carpenter lost his life during construction. Still in use as the Paulding County Carnegie Library.
One of the most Federal looking of all the Ohio Carnegie libraries. That should scare away any ostensible ghosts, but the library is rumored to be haunted. Methinks someone has spent too much time reading in the Dewey 100s.
 |
 |
 | E.C. Kropp 'Blue series' large letter card. | Interior view, ca. 1907-1915. | Steeply angled view. |
Wow, these Limans are (rightfully) proud of their library!
(L) LLC features a vignette of the library, view same as above.
(C) Beautiful view of the interior, taken from about 20 feet in back of the desk. It's easy to keep a neat desk
with no labor saving devices.
Hello-o-o back there!
1902 Carnegie grant. After a period of abandonment (1957 - 1970), the Carnegie building was renovated for use as the Lorain Parks and Recreation Department.
(L) Fred Dinkel card, printed in Germany.
(R) Attractive Rotograph card, printed in Germany. Notice the man proudly displaying the bike rack. One
might wonder if he had made it himself.
(Lower R) Interesting Hugh C. Leighton card showing an insider's view of the reference desk.
And what was it like then?
No phone.
No computer.
Lots of books.
1903 grant. Still in use.
I don't know if the end building is part of the library or not. Seems like a lot of chimneys for a library, if so.
This Tom Jones card must have been produced shortly after the library's construction. There doesn't even seem to be a lawn, much less landscaping.
Attractive H.H. Hamm/Curt Teich American Art card, probably dating from between the world wars.
Late 1902 Carnegie grant. No information about the building on the library's website.
I was hesitant whether to place this library, built from a late 1908 grant, under Dayton.
The building became a school district library in 1923, and the library became part of the
Dayton Public Library system in 1966. Dayton-Metro replaced it in 1981.
What a pleasant surprise it was to discover that this
building
is now a rentable meeting facility.
Wedding reception, anyone?
From this 1915 postcard, I certainly would not have guessed that the building was built of dark brown brick.
© 2003-9 Judy Aulik
Split from
Other Ohio Libraries:
05 February 2008.
Split from A - C and
N - Z on 03 June 2009.
Updated 19 August 2009.
Home.
Non-Carnegie Ohio libraries.