Carnegie Public Library (Huntington, West Virginia)

Last updated
Carnegie Public Library
Huntington Jr College 2014.jpg
Carnegie Public Library
USA West Virginia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location900 5th St., Huntington, West Virginia
Coordinates 38°25′11″N82°26′36″W / 38.41972°N 82.44333°W / 38.41972; -82.44333
Area0.2 acres (0.081 ha)
Built1902
ArchitectStewart, James B.
Architectural styleBeaux Arts
NRHP reference No. 80004015 [1]
Added to NRHPApril 3, 1980

The Carnegie Public Library at Huntington, West Virginia, formerly also known as the Cabell County Public Library, is a historic library building located on the northeast corner of Fifth Avenue and Ninth Street. It was the first public library in the county. [2] It served the community as a library until 1980, when a new library opened across the street. The building currently houses the Huntington Junior College. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

History

At the time of the library's construction, there were no public libraries in Huntington or Cabell County, and the only existing library was located in the First Congregational Church. [2] In 1901, industrialist Andrew Carnegie offered $25,000 for the construction of a public library, on the condition that the city would supply the land and maintain the building. A lot of ninety feet square was conveyed by the city to the Board of Education for this purpose, and plans were drawn up by local architect James B. Stewart. Construction began in the spring of 1902, and Carnegie donated an additional $10,000 for the building. The library was one of three thousand constructed across the country by Carnegie between 1885 and 1919. [2]

The cornerstone was laid on November 14, 1902, by W. H. H. Holswade, President of the Board of Education, and H. C. Gordon, the mayor of Huntington. [2] The original plans called for stone veneer only on the south and west sides, facing Fifth Avenue and Ninth Street, while the other sides would be brick cemented into imitation stone. However, in December, 1902 it was decided to continue the stone veneer along the library's north side, and forty feet of the east side. [2] Construction was finished a year later, and the library opened to the public on January 1, 1904. The library's initial collection included only 750 books, and the building also housed the offices of the Board of Education. [2]

The first librarian was Miss Adrianne Burns, who served from 1904 to 1908, and enlarged the collection to 6,000 volumes. Miss Lewis Harvey served as librarian from 1908 to 1943. During the library's second decade of operation, the Board of Education vacated its offices, and the library came to occupy the entire building. [2] The interior was renovated in the 1930s under the supervision of architect Albert F. Tucker. [2] The Carnegie library served the city of Huntington until 1980, when a new public library opened across Ninth Street. At the same time, the Carnegie library was added to the National Register of Historic Places. [1]

The Cabell County Library Board sold the building for $185,000. A group of investors from Columbus, Ohio then renovated the interior for use as a restaurant, known appropriately as "The Old Library". Serving lunch and dinner, the restaurant featured a lounge with a square island bar on the first floor, and dining tables on the mezzanine. There was a game room, and the restaurant was decorated with books and shelves, alluding to the building's original purpose. The restaurant had a capacity of one hundred eighty, and did well initially, but it closed within a few years. In 1985, the Huntington Junior College moved into the building, where it remains in 2023. [6]

Until 1915, a statue of a Union soldier stood in front of the library's southwest corner. Pictured in various postcards showing the library and its environs, the monument was probably erected by the Grand Army of the Republic in the 1890s. It vanished in mysterious circumstances in 1915, amid controversy over plans to construct a Confederate monument at Ritter Park. Witnesses reported seeing the statue loaded into a wagon, believing that it would be relocated to the park, but the statue was never seen again. [7]

Architecture

The structure is built in the Beaux-Arts style. [2] It features two stories with a raised basement, with smooth gray ashlar walls. [2] The building's design is distinctly neoclassical, and follows the Ionic order. The portico features paired columns supporting a pediment, with smaller pediments on the west and south sides. The east side is the plainest, and lacks a gable end or pediment. [2]

On the frieze are inscribed the names of various authors and philosophers from classical antiquity to modern times. [2] On the library's south side, facing Fifth Avenue, Socrates has pride of place directly above the portico, flanked by Homer to the left, and Plato on the right. On the west side of the building, facing Ninth Street, are Shakespeare (spelled "Shakspere"), Macaulay, Schiller, and Longfellow. The frieze is partially hidden by neighboring buildings on the north and east sides, but Franklin appears in the northwest corner, while Virgil and Goethe are inscribed on the east side, nearest Fifth Avenue. There may be as many as three additional names on the north frieze, but the entire east side is visible, due to the lack of a gable end on that side of the building, and it seems to be blank following Goethe. A similar list of names is inscribed above the windows of the Carnegie Library at Binghamton, New York, which also opened in 1904: Shakespeare, Homer, Plato, Virgil, Dante, Bacon, Hugo, Emerson, Lowell, Goethe, Schiller, Longfellow, and Hawthorne. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cabell County, West Virginia</span> County in West Virginia, United States

Cabell County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 94,350, making it West Virginia's fourth most-populous county. Its county seat is Huntington. The county was organized in 1809 and named for William H. Cabell, the Governor of Virginia from 1805 to 1808. Cabell County is part of the Huntington–Ashland, WV–KY–OH Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huntington, West Virginia</span> City in West Virginia, United States

Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The seat of Cabell County, the city is located in SW West Virginia at the confluence of the Ohio and Guyandotte rivers. The population was 46,842 at the 2020 census. According to 2023 census estimates, the city is estimated to have a population of 45,325. Huntington is the second-most populous city in West Virginia. Its metro area, the Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area, is the largest in West Virginia, spanning seven counties across three states and having a population of 368,262 at the 2023 estimate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guyandotte River</span> River in West Virginia, United States

The Guyandotte River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 166 mi (267 km) long, in southwestern West Virginia in the United States. It was named after the French term for the Wendat Native Americans. It drains an area of the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau south of the Ohio between the watersheds of the Kanawha River to the northeast and Twelvepole Creek and the Big Sandy River to the southwest. Via the Ohio River, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuyahoga County Courthouse</span> Local government building in the United States

The Cuyahoga County Courthouse stretches along Lakeside Avenue at the north end of the Cleveland Mall in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The building was listed on the National Register along with the mall district in 1975. Other notable buildings of the Group Plan are the Howard M. Metzenbaum U.S. Courthouse designed by Arnold Brunner, the Cleveland Public Library, the Board of Education Building, Cleveland City Hall, and Public Auditorium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Post Office and Court House (Huntington, West Virginia)</span> United States historic place

The United States Post Office and Court House in Huntington, West Virginia is a federal building housing the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. It was built in 1907 and expanded in 1907, and again in 1937. The original construction was the result of the Tarsney Act of 1893. The federal courthouse is part of a group of significant civic structures in the center of Huntington that includes the Cabell County Courthouse, the Huntington City Hall and the Carnegie Public Library. The original design was by Parker and Thomas of Boston and Baltimore. The post office has since been moved to another location. In 1980, the United States Congress passed legislation renaming the building the Sidney L. Christie Federal Building, in honor of District Court judge Sidney Lee Christie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longfellow, Alden & Harlow</span>

Longfellow, Alden & Harlow, of Boston, Massachusetts, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was the architectural firm of Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow Jr. (1854–1934), Frank Ellis Alden (1859–1908), and Alfred Branch Harlow (1857–1927). The firm, successors to H. H. Richardson, continued to provide structures in the Romanesque revival style established by Richardson that is often referred to as Richardsonian Romanesque.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masonic Temple (Huntington, West Virginia)</span> United States historic place

The Masonic Temple—Watts, Ritter, Wholesale Drygoods Company Building in Huntington, West Virginia, which has also been historically known as Watts, Ritter Wholesale Drygoods Company Building and more recently known as River Tower, is a commercial building. It is located at 1108 Third Avenue, in Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia. It was built between 1914 and 1922 as a five-story brick building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simms School Building</span> United States historic place

Simms School Building is a historic elementary school building located at Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia. It was built in 1919–1920, and is a two-story wire brick, steel frame building in the Classical Revival style. It has a square plan, with a center auditorium surrounded by a circular corridor with classrooms on three sides. The front entrance has a center colonnade with four round limestone Doric order columns capped with a limestone frieze and projecting cornice. The second floor features an open porch with wood columns and a projecting cornice topped by a clay tile mansard roof. An addition was completed in 1964. The school closed after 1980, and it now houses 20 apartment units for the elderly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Huntington Historic District</span> US national historic district in West Virginia

Downtown Huntington Historic District is a national historic district located at Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia. The original district encompassed 59 contributing buildings; the boundary increase added 53 more contributing buildings. It includes the central business district of Huntington and includes several of its municipal and governmental buildings. It contains the majority of the historic concentration of downtown commercial buildings. Located in the district are the separately listed Carnegie Public Library, Cabell County Courthouse, U.S. Post Office and Court House, and Campbell-Hicks House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ninth Street West Historic District</span> Historic district in West Virginia, United States

Ninth Street West Historic District is a national historic district located at Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia. The district encompasses 12 contributing buildings in the St. Cloud neighborhood in the western section of Huntington. It is a significant enclave of late 19th and early 20th century residences in the Late Victorian style, most notably Queen Anne. The period of development is from 1870 to 1933.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carnegie Public Library (Havre, Montana)</span> United States historic place

The Carnegie Public Library in Havre, Montana is a historic Carnegie library built in 1914 which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. It is in the Classical revival style. It was also known as the Havre Public Library and later as the Old Carnegie Library. In 2017 it is a former library building and is occupied by the Old Library Gallery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rensselaer Carnegie Library</span> United States historic place

The Rensselaer Carnegie Library in Rensselaer, Indiana is a building from 1905. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The building no longer functions as a library; since 1992 it houses the Prairie Arts Council, a local performing arts organization.

Huntington Junior College (HJC) is a private junior college in Huntington, West Virginia. It was founded in 1936 and its campus is currently located in the former Cabell County Public Library building. The college offers six associate degree programs as well as stackable certificates and micro-credentials. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Huntington, West Virginia, USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Streator Public Library</span> United States historic place

The Streator Public Library is a historic Carnegie library located at 130 S. Park Street in Streator, Illinois. Opened in 1903, the library was the first permanent home for Streator's library association. Architects Patton & Miller designed the Classical Revival building. The library is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is still home to Streator's main public library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huntington City Hall</span> City hall of Huntington, West Virginia, U.S.

The Huntington City Hall is the city hall of Huntington, West Virginia, located next to the Cabell County Public Library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Cline Buffington</span> First mayor of Huntington, West Virginia

Peter Cline Buffington was the first mayor of Huntington, West Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">14th Street West Historic District</span> Historic district in West Virginia, United States

14th Street West Historic District, also known as Central City, is a national historic district located at Huntington, West Virginia. The district encompasses 29 contributing buildings including Heiner's Bakery. Dwellings in the district represent the finest styles in Colonial Revival and Mid-Century Modern architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cabell County Public Library</span>

The Cabell County Public Library is a public library between Huntington City Hall and Carnegie Public Luibrary, that serves and is located in Huntington, West Virginia, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick Building</span> United States historic place

The Frederick Building, also known as the Frederick Hotel is a six-story historic commercial building across the street from the Keith-Albee Theatre. It was built in 1906, with Renaissance architecture designed by James B. Stewart and Edwin N. Alger.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Michael J. Pauley and Rodney S. Collins (July 1979). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Carnegie Public Library" (PDF). State of West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2011-07-23.
  3. ↑ Ross, Jim (2024-03-23). "With growth, Huntington Junior College plans changes to curriculum and building". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  4. ↑ Pfister, Tom. "When There's A New Chapter At Carnegie Public Library Buildings". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  5. ↑ Gregory, Ted (2015-05-23). "Library's closing reveals fading Carnegie legacy, hopeful future". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  6. ↑ Casto, James E. (22 October 2019). "Lost Huntington: The Old Library". The Herald-Dispatch . Huntington, West Virginia. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  7. ↑ Casto, James E. (11 October 2016). "Lost Huntington: The missing statue". The Herald-Dispatch . Huntington, West Virginia. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  8. ↑ "Binghamton's Landmark Library: Carnegie Building Graces Court House Square". Treasures of the Tier: A Monthly Column on Historic Structures of New York's Southern Tier. nyslandmarks.com. 23 April 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2023. Names of thirteen literary icons are etched in stone above the large windows: Emerson, Lowell, Homer, Plato, Bacon, Shakespeare, Hugo, Virgil, Dante, Goethe, Schiller, Longfellow, and Hawthorne.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.