Ohio Public Libraries

Ohio is traditionally considered to have the best public library service among the states.

Note that the Dayton card (left) shows two Carnegie branch buildings plus its signature Romanesque main library.

Cincinnati

Officially known as 'The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.'

Vine Street (Main Library)

High Italianate building, built in 1874: replaced in 1955. The fate of the original building is unknown.

Strangely textured (ribbed) paper stock on the postcard. It's the only 'Tom Jones' card I have. It was mailed in 1910. In case you're wondering, that's the 'New Misfit Clothing Company' nestled on one side, and the 'Volksblatt' building 2 doors down on the other.

The replacement 1955 building is incorporated into current main library. No postcard yet for it.

Cleveland

1925 main building. Although Cleveland received a lot of Carnegie funding, none seems to have been used in this main location. For a Cleveland Carnegie library, visit my Ohio Carnegie Library page.

The Louis Stokes wing was built in 1995, and the rest of the facility has been restored.

To the right is a Cleveland Library overdue notice, mailed in 1950. It begs the question, 'Why would someone hang on to a library notice for over 50 years?'
The unspoken one is 'Why would anyone buy it?'

Dayton

Public Library, and McKinley Monument

The above was replaced by the Dayton-Montgomery County Library.

Fremont (Birchard Library)

Did you know that President Rutherford B. Hayes' uncle gave the money to build the Birchard Library? And did you know that Hayes served on the library board at the same time he was president? Strangely, the monument in front says something about Fort Stephenson.
No-one respects poor Rutherford.

Is the building Beaux-Arts, or not? (Probably not, given the red brick.)

The linen finish card is a product of E.C. Kropp of Milwaukee.