A Carnegie Library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
The Davenport Public Library is a public library located in Davenport, Iowa. With a history dating back to 1839, the Davenport Public Library's Main Library is currently housed in a 1960s building designed by Kennedy Center architect Edward Durell Stone. The Davenport Public Library system is made up of three libraries—the Main Library at 321 Main Street; the Fairmount Branch Library at 3000 N. Fairmount Street; and the Eastern Avenue Branch Library at 6000 Eastern Avenue.
The Council Bluffs Public Library serves the residents of Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States along with unincorporated and rural areas of Pottawattamie County. Several cities also contract with the library to provide services. It dates back to 1866. The library is currently located on Willow Avenue. The previous library building on Pearl Street was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
The Eldon Public Library is a public library and historic building located in Eldon, Iowa, United States. Established in 1906, the present building, completed in 1913 with a donation from Andrew Carnegie, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Carnegie Library Building in Carroll, Iowa, United States, is a building from 1905. The 60-by-38.5-foot structure was designed in the Prairie School style by Omaha architect Thomas R. Kimball. The Carnegie Corporation of New York had accepted Carroll's application for a grant for $10,000 on February 12, 1903. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
The Perry Carnegie Library Building, also known as the Carnegie Library Museum, is a historic structure located in Perry, Iowa, United States. The Perry Library Association was established in 1894, and William Tarr served as its first librarian. Andrew Carnegie accepted Perry's application for a grant for $10,600 on January 13, 1903. The Des Moines architectural firm of Liebbe, Nourse & Rasmussen designed the Neoclassical building that was built by local contractor Courtney and Bolt. It opened in September 1904 was dedicated on December 10.
Alden Public Library is located in Alden, Iowa, United States. The community's first library association was formed in 1882, and they acquired 225 books. The annual membership fee to use the library was $1. It was discontinued within two years, and Alden's second library association was formed in 1885 by women in the community. In time they were able to build their own building in 1892 and convince the city government to take over its support. Shortly after the city took over they contacted the Carnegie Foundation, who funded the construction of a new building with a $9,000 grant. It was designed by the Des Moines architectural firm of Wetherell & Gage, and shows Beaux Arts styling. The new building was dedicated on August 26, 1914. It is believed to be one of the smallest Carnegie libraries ever built. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
Emmetsburg Public Library was at a historic building located in Emmetsburg, Iowa, United States. A former Carnegie library, it sits on the square behind the Palo Alto County Courthouse. Andrew Carnegie had accepted Emmetsburg's application for a grant for $10,000 on February 20, 1911. The building is significant for its architecture. It was designed by Bloomington, Illinois architect A.T. Simmons and completed in 1912. The brick, side gable structure has a projecting entrance on the long side of the building. A string course encircles the building, engaging the lintels of the windows. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The Clarinda Carnegie Library, now known as the Clarinda Carnegie Art Museum, is a historic building located in Clarinda, Iowa, United States. The Clarinda Public Library was organized in 1905. The library board applied for a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York for $15,000 on February 21, 1907. W.W. Welch was the architect of the Carnegie library building that was dedicated on April 15, 1909. In time the building became too small. The Lied Foundation of Las Vegas donated $1 million towards a new facility, and a special election held in October 2002 allowed the city to borrow the same amount for a new building. Groundbreaking for the new building took place on May 28, 2003, and the new Lied Public Library was opened on October 11, 2004. The old library building has been transformed into an art museum, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
The former Lake City Public Library is a historic structure located in Lake City, Iowa, United States. Efforts to establish a library began as early as 1889 when community socials were held to raise money for books. Women in the community, however, would not form a community library association until 1905. They sought donations of books and money from the community and were able to set up a subscription that year in the old primary building next to Central School. By 1908 there were 1,500 volumes in the library. The Association proposed to the city council in February of the same year that they turn their holdings over to the city for a free library. The council agreed to submit the proposal to the voters and the Association petitioned the Carnegie Corporation of New York for funds to build a new building. They accepted Lake City's application for a grant for $7,500 on May 8, 1908, and approved the library proposal in early June. S.T. and E.S. Hutchison donated the property. Denison, Iowa architect Edgar Lee Barber designed the Neoclassical building that was built by Nelson Construction Company. It opened in April 1910. There was no formal dedication. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. The community has subsequently built a new library, and this building now houses a commercial business.
Oskaloosa Public Library is a facility located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States. Construction of the library was launched in 1902 with a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
Fairfield Public Library is located in Fairfield, Iowa, United States. A library association was founded by a group of local men in 1853, and funded by dues from its members. It was housed in several different buildings for the first 40 years. U.S. Senator James F. Wilson from Fairfield was instrumental in obtaining a grant from Andrew Carnegie for a building of its own. The grant for $40,000 was accepted on January 15, 1892. It was the first Carnegie Library outside of Western Pennsylvania and the first of 101 built in Iowa. It was also one the few libraries Carnegie funded without stipulations concerning its use, public support, or design. The building was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style by Kansas City architect C. Stafford. It was officially opened on Friday, September 29, 1893, and it was dedicated on November 28 of the same year. The association continued to run the library until 1899 when voters approved a referendum to support it with taxes. The building has been altered in the ensuing years, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The library moved to a new building in 1996, and the historic building is now home to the Jefferson County Service Center of Indian Hills Community College.
The former Spirit Lake Public Library is located in downtown Spirit Lake, Iowa, United States. The Civic Improvement Association started a library in a rented commercial building downtown in 1901. The initial collections were acquired through Iowa's traveling library system. A referendum to support a public library was passed in 1904, which made a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York possible. Spirit Lake's application was accepted for a grant for $8,000 on February 1, 1905. The search for a lot for the building delayed construction. The library was dedicated on September 24, 1912. The single-story brick structure was built on a raised basement, and features vaguely Tudor Revival elements. The center frontispiece and the tall windows give it a sense of verticality. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The public library has subsequently been relocated into a new building, and the historic building has been converted into commercial space.
The Maquoketa Public Library is located in Maquoketa, Iowa, United States. The Maquoketa Literary Society was organized as early as 1851, and the Boardman Library Institute was founded in 1885. The community applied to the Carnegie Corporation of New York for a grant to build a free public library, and on March 14, 1902 they were awarded $12,500. The total cost of acquiring the property and constructing the building was $15,000, which they raised by public contributions and entertainments. Independence, Iowa architect Harry Netcott designed the Neoclassical building. It is a single-story brick structure that rests on a raised limestone basement. Bedford stone was used for the trim. It features a symmetrical facade, with columns in the Ionic order that frame the portico. The interior features a columned rotunda. It was dedicated on January 19, 1904. The Boardman Library Institute merged with the Free Public Library after the new building was completed. The roofline was altered slightly when a new roof was added around the middle of the 20th century.
The Vinton Public Library is located in Vinton, Iowa, United States. The community applied to the Carnegie Corporation of New York for a grant to build a public library, and on January 22, 1903 they were awarded $12,500. It was one of 22 public libraries in Iowa that were built with Carnegie grants that year, the most in the history of the program for both the state and the country. The Chicago architectural firm of Patton & Miller designed the Renaissance Revival building. It features a full parapet, hipped roof with a deck, and a Flemish gable. It was dedicated on August 25, 1904, and it has subsequently been expanded. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The Carnegie-Ellsworth Public Library is a historic building located in Iowa Falls, Iowa, United States. Local businessman Eugene Ellsworth donated the property for the library in 1902. The following year the Carnegie Foundation agreed to grant the community $10,000 to build the building. It was dedicated on August 9, 1904. The single-story, brick structure is dominated by an elaborate entrance pavilion. It features a semi-circular window above the cornice, which is supported by two Ionic pillars in antis between rusticated corner piers. The hip roof is capped by a cupola. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The Robert W. Barlow Memorial Library, Iowa Falls' public library, is now housed in a modern building near the Iowa River.
The Former Eldora Public Library is a historic building located in Eldora, Iowa, United States. On December 30, 1901 the Carnegie Foundation agreed to grant the community $10,000 to build a new library building. The Chicago architectural firm of Patton & Miller designed it in the Renaissance Revival style, and it was dedicated on May 11, 1903. The single-story, brick structure is somewhat rare in that its plan is an asymmetrical massing of intersecting gables. The entrance pavilion is located at the intersection of the two masses. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. In 2010 it was included as a contributing property in the Eldora Downtown Historic District in 2010. The library has subsequently moved to a new facility, and this building has been converted for commercial use.
The Sioux City Free Public Library is a historic building located in Sioux City, Iowa, United States. The library was located in a section of the Municipal Building, no longer extant, between 1892 and 1913. It had outgrown the space when the Library Board contacted Andrew Carnegie in 1910 about providing the funding for a new library building. Their request was initially turned down. They chose to work with New York City architect Edward L. Tilton, an architect preferred by Carnegie, in place of local architect William L. Steele who was working with the board previously. Local resident George Murphy donated the property for the new building. Meanwhile, Tilton designed the two-story brick Renaissance Revival building. On April 8, 1911, Carnegie approved the project and donated $75,000 for the building's construction. The new building was dedicated on March 6, 1913, and it is considered "an excellent early twentieth century example of the architectural development of library planning and design." It was Tilton's only building in Iowa.
The Carnegie-Stout Public Library is located in Dubuque, Iowa, United States. The public library had its beginnings with the Young Men's Literary Association, established in 1859, and their book collection was the basis for the library's collection. The books were housed in a variety of buildings over the years. The community applied for a grant from Andrew Carnegie who on January 12, 1901 contributed $71,500 to build the library building. Local businessman Frank D. Stout donated the property, which was worth $20,000, in honor of his father Henry L. Stout. The two-story Bedford stone and brick building was designed by Chicago architects W. G. Williamson and John Spencer. It is considered one of the finest examples of the Classical tradition of Beaux-Arts architecture in Iowa. The main facade is dominated by a Roman Corinthian portico that was modeled after the Pantheon in Rome. Its fluted columns are matched with pilasters on the wall behind. The building was dedicated on October 17, 1902, and it opened three days later. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, and it was included as a contributing property in the Jackson Park Historic District in 1986. An addition was added to the east side of the building in 1981.
The Former Mount Pleasant Public Library is a historic building located in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, United States. The library here was established in 1875. The community applied to Andrew Carnegie for a grant to build a new building, which was accepted on January 13, 1903. They were initially granted $10,000 and then were given a further $2,500. The Chicago architectural firm Patton & Miller designed the Romanesque Revival structure. They adapted Henry Hobson Richardson's Thomas Crane Public Library (1882) for this building. Unlike the Crane Library, this building is primarily brick with rough stone used for a short tower on the main facade and for the trim. It also features an asymmetrical grouping of intersecting gables. The building opened on Wednesday, February 22, 1905. An addition was built onto the rear of the building in 1926. It was designed by the Des Moines architectural firm of Dougher, Rich & Woodburn. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The library has subsequently moved to another facility and this building now houses a branch of Southeastern Community College.
