Alta Public Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Alta Public Library
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Cleveland
Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 12510 Mayfield Road, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Architect | George B. Post & Sons |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| NRHP reference No. | 05001143 |
| Added to NRHP | October 4, 2005 |
The Alta Public Library is a really old and important library building in Cleveland, Ohio. It was designed by a famous architect named George B. Post. The library was finished in 1914.
It was built as an addition to a place called Alta House. Alta House was a "settlement house," which means it was a community center that helped new immigrants and families in need. Even though Alta House was destroyed by a fire in 1980, the library building was not damaged at all!
Because of its history, the Alta Public Library was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 4, 2005. This list helps protect important buildings.
Building the Alta House and Library
In 1895, a very rich man named John D. Rockefeller, Sr. decided to help the community. He agreed to pay for a new building in the Little Italy area of Cleveland. This building would be a settlement house with a kindergarten and a place for day care.
It was named Alta House, after Rockefeller's daughter, Alta. A local architect, Charles W. Hopkinson, designed the first building, which opened in 1899.
Later, in 1910, Rockefeller agreed to give more money. This time, it was for an expansion of Alta House. The new parts would include a gym, a swimming pool, and a library. George B. Post designed these new additions. The library officially opened its doors on February 10, 1914. It was built in the Neoclassical style, which means it looked like ancient Greek and Roman buildings.
Fires and the Survival of the Library
Sadly, a fire broke out at the Alta House part of the complex on June 22, 1980. It caused a lot of damage, about $40,000 worth. A second fire happened on July 1, causing even more damage. At first, people thought these fires were set on purpose. But later, it was found that the first fire was caused by an electrical problem.
More small fires happened in the following weeks. Because of all the damage, the programs that usually happened at Alta House had to move into the Alta Public Library building.
City officials looked at the damage and decided that Alta House was too badly hurt to fix. They said the building was unsafe on November 12, 1980. Officials at Alta House decided to tear down the building. They found out that fixing it would cost over $1 million, and no insurance company would cover the building.
Only the main Alta House building was torn down. The swimming pool and gym were saved. The best news was that the Alta Public Library building was completely undamaged by the fires!
A new, smaller building for Alta House opened in May 1982. It was like a small wing attached to the library. The area where the old Alta House stood was turned into Bocce courts, which are places to play a fun Italian game.
In 2016, the Alta Public Library got a big makeover. An architect named Joseph Linek oversaw the project. The renovation cost about $1.6 million. This money helped fix and restore the original wooden floors, windows, and brickwork. After the renovation, the Cleveland Montessori School also moved into the building, sharing the space with the library.
