Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) was one of the richest men in American history. He sold his Carnegie Steel to J.P. Morgan, which became the basis for U.S. Steel. He also endowed Carnegie-Mellon Institute. In the end, he gave away 90% of his six billion dollar fortune to charities and institutions worldwide. However, he is probably best known for Carnegie Hall and the more than 2,500 libraries he funded. Of that total, 1,689 were established in the U.S. in 47 states. Here are a few of them:
Jacksonville FL
Construction began on the Jacksonville library in 1902, and the library opened two years later. The young girl in the first photo dated 1903 is Francesca Perry, who lived an additional 85 years after the photo was taken. The building has been renovated and now houses law offices.
Lusk WY.
There were 16 libraries built between 1899 and 1917, ten of which are still standing although only five are still used as libraries. Lusk WY, opened in 1919, is one of those. The first photo is from the 1920s.
Petosky MI
The Petoskey Carnegie Library was dedicated in 1909. It was a favorite haunt of Ernest Hemingway while he was living in Petoskey in 1919 and is now used for community meetings. The first photo shows the laying of the cornerstone in 1908. The second shows a beer wagon parked in front later that year.
Willits CA.
The Carnegie Library in Willits CA is seen here at its dedication in 1915. Like so many other library districts that outgrew the original building, it has been repurposed, in this case as a public radio station.
Oakland CA
The Margaret Carnegie Library in Oakland CA was named for Andrew Carnegie’s daughter. It is located on the campus of Mills College and is now used for administrative offices. The first photo shows the dedication in 1906.
