Ohio's Carnegies - 3 Successes, 3 Failings

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Who doesn't love Carnegie Libraries? Ohio built the third largest number of Carnegie Libraries, constructing 111 libraries with 78 grants. While many are the typical Carnegie school of design (central entrance with columns, etc.), Ohio has a diverse collection of styles from Victorian Romanesque (Stubenville) to Federal (Wauseon) to a mix of Second Renaissance and Georgian Revival (East Liverpool).

Of those 111:
    -60 remain libraries (or part of libraries)
    -35 have been adapted for reuse, many as law offices and libraries or historical museums, etc
    -10 have been demolished
    -6 sit vacant

Those demolished:
-Alliance (1974)
-Celina (1968)
-West End Branch - Cincinnati (1947)
-Woodland Branch - Cleveland (fire in 1957)
-West Branch - Dayton (fire in 1979)
-Lima (1961)
-Marysville (1997)
-Mott Branch - Toledo (1980)
-Kent Branch - Toledo (fire in 1974)
-Wooster (1966)

Those vacant:
-South Brooklyn Branch - Cleveland (closed in 1936)
-Quincy Branch - Cleveland (closed in 1977)
-Superior Branch - Cleveland (closed in 1990)
-Coshocton (closed in 1973)
-Middletown (closed in 1983)
-Xenia (closed in 1978)

*Compiled from Carnegie Libraries in Ohio by Mary Ellen Armentrout. The book features images of all 111 libraries, along with a history of each. I'd highly recommend checking one out.

Lebanon, constructed in 1908, received a restoration and sensitive addition in 1988. The library is one of only two in Ohio with a corner entrance and is a showpiece in downtown.


Middletown, built in 1911, was vacated in 1983 when the city built a big-box style library closer to downtown. It was used as a homeless shelter for several years but is vacant today.








Oxford/Miami U., which opened in 1910, was vacated as a library in 1972 and became home to the Dept. of Architecture and Interior Design. In the mid-90's, it underwent a major renovation which preserved the integrity of the structure.






Xenia, completed in 1906, has sat vacant since 1978 as several reuse plans never materialized.






Dayton's East Branch was completed in 1914 and used until the mid-60's. After sitting vacant, the city renovated the building for the Southeast Priority Board Offices and a neighborhood center and clinic.






Coshocton, the 1000th Carnegie Library, has sat vacant and decaying since 1973 when the library moved into the vacated historic post office.

[mrnyc]

great thread. i always wondered ho many carnegie libraries were around.

some of them look just like old high schools of the day.

[Clevelumbus]

Cool!

[ColDayMan]

The Coshocton one is really a shame.

[ZachariahDaMan]

That's too bad about the Coshocton one, that was probably my favorite that you posted.

[preservationrestoration]

Perfect timing Ink for this thread, because the MJ on Sunday did an article on the condition and future of the Middletown library:


Rick McCrabb: Historic structure left behind
Once eye-catching, old library now a heartbreaker for those who remember its better days.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

The old lady ain't what she used to be.

Once the Middletown Public Library — a city crown jewel — the building at 1320 First Ave. has been tossed aside like a broken necklace.

If you remember the building at the corner of First Avenue and Curtis Street from its glory days — when it swelled with educational activity — here's a suggestion: Don't drive by today.

Unless you like seeing your grandmother in disarray.

"It's a heartbreak for those of us who worked there," said Doug Bean, director of the Middletown Public Library who worked at the First Avenue location for nine years.

"It looks pretty sad," said Marty Kohler, planning director for the city of Middletown. "It's a shame."

"I want to cry," said Karen Barnette, director of Serenity House, the last organization to own the property.

Unable to make the monthly payments to Lebanon Citizens National Bank, Barnette lost the building to foreclosure, she said.

Steve Wilson, president of LCNB, said the property, after appraisal, will be sold at a Butler County Sheriff's sale, and because of its deteriorating condition, may be purchased for pennies per square foot, he said.

Right now, that looks like no bargain.

Weeds are knee-high, several of the windows — once beautiful — have fallen victims to vandals' rocks, the doors are boarded, copper gutters have been stripped off the roof by scrap-metal thieves, and the floor, unprotected by the leaky roof, is covered with water.

"It's in a mess," Barnette said.

If the building isn't sold at the sheriff's sale, and Kohler doesn't foresee any potential buyers, the building will be demolished.

When relayed that, Bean became quiet — and not because he was sitting in the library.

"That would be," he said slowly, "just painful. That's a historic structure."


Contact this columnist  at (513) 705-2842 or rmccrabb@coxohio.com.

[ink]

My Hometown Ohio--Preservation Ohio's Blog--has responded to the potential Middletown demolition with a topic on Ohio's Carnegies as well:
http://myhometownohio.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2007/5/24/2973022.html

Hopefully, if Middletown is demolished, it will encourage other cities to take action before their Carnegies are taken down.

[the pope]

because I've been!

East Liverpool


well you can read

[ink]

Germantown's is a classic Carnegie design scaled perfectly for the town.


Today the old library houses the Germantown Historical Society.

[presOhio]

This is my childhood Carnegie Library in Galion... still live within a stone's throw of it (not that I would do such a thing!)... tastefully expanded to the rear in the late 1980s.

[ink]

1 day, 8 Carnegies:

Columbus, still a library








The back of the original building was left exposed with the huge expansion to the rear.


Delaware, now a county building




Marion, owned by a church






Upper Sandusky


Tiffin, now a county building




Bucyrus, still a library


An 80's addition makes the building look a little odd


Galion, still a library






Since Galion doesn't bother to turn on their water fountains, I had to go in for a drink and found a great window.


Mansfield, still a library

[jonmoxon]

That list failed to mention the now-vacant Carnegie library in Conneaut. Conneaut's port facilities (the P&C dock co) were developed by Carnegie's steel company as his flagship port on the lakes to bring iron ore to his mills in Pittsburgh. The city built a larger library a block away from the original (1903?) in 2003. The new one is the vinyl-sided twin of any number of nursing homes in the area. At least the original hasn't been demo'd. yet.

[UncleRando]

Neat thread...can't believe I missed it for this long.

[KJP]

-South Brooklyn Branch - Cleveland (closed in 1936)

If this is the one I'm thinking of, I did an article last year about it being renovated into a business incubator and the new home of the Brooklyn-Brighton Community Development Corp. However, I haven't followed up on the project since. Perhaps this isn't the same building, because I thought it was vacated as a library in the 1970s. Can anyone refresh my memory?

[ink]

^After closing in 1936, that branch became part of Deaconess Hospital. The building is on Pearl Rd.

[preservationrestoration]

The Germantown Library is having a celebration:

Carnegie Library celebrates 100th birthday with several events
Building serves as headquarters to Germantown Historical Society

By Eric Robinette

Staff Writer

Friday, June 29, 2007

People often come to libraries to learn about something, but next week, Germantown's old library offers visitors the chance to learn about the library itself.

The Carnegie Library Building, which is today the headquarters of the Germantown Historical Society, celebrates its 100th birthday this year with several events.

The Carnegie Library Building serves as headquarters to the Germantown Historical Society and celebrates its 100th birthday this year.quarters of the Germantown Historical Society, celebrates its 100th birthday this year with several events. Click to enlarge

First up is a Volksmarch which runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. It begins and ends at the Carnegie Library building on 47 W. Center St. It is free for those not seeking the IVV credit offered by Volksmarch groups.

Then there is the main event for the library itself, an open house that runs from noon to 6 p.m. at the old building. The open house is on Tuesday, the exact anniversary of the library's opening.

"People can come in and look at the building and the displays about the history of the building and Germantown in general," said Barbara Wachter, who is the director of Germantown's historical society.

Germantown's library was built in 1907 thanks to funding from industrialist Andrew Carnegie, who funded many libraries across the country. He was primarily giving out money to cities and towns that didn't already have libraries, Wachter explained. Since Germantown already had a very small library at that point, Carnegie did not initially provide the funds.

However, Carnegie eventually changed his mind because "he got tired of listening to us begging for money," Wachter said. Carnegie handed over $10,000. It built the building, which served as the library until 1984, when a new, larger building was constructed across the street.

There will be a wine and cheese party and a tour of the new home of Dr. Noel and Margaret Watson from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at 1225 W. Market St. Tickets are $15 for members of the historical society and $20 for non-members. They may be purchased in advance at the society, or from Margaret Watson. Tickets will also be available at the door. Proceeds from the event will benefit the society for upkeep of the Carnegie Library building.


how to go

WHAT: Carnegie Library celebrations

WHERE: 47 W. Center St./1225 W. Market St., Germantown.

WHEN: Volksmarch, 10 a.m. Sunday (July 1); library open house, noon Tuesday (July 3); wine and cheese party, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday (July 3)

COST: Volksmarch and open house free. Wine and cheese party $15 for historical society members, $20 for non-members

MORE INFO: (937) 855-7951

[ink]

I thought I'd add a few more...

Akron






Milan - twin to Ripley




Warren


Bellfountaine


Bryan


Kenton


Sandusky