Auburn Public Library (Washington) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Auburn Public Library
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 Location in Washington (state)
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| Location | 306 Auburn Ave., Auburn, Washington |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1914 |
| Architect | Myers, David J. |
| MPS | Carnegie Libraries of Washington TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 82004221 |
| Added to NRHP | August 3, 1982 |
The Auburn Public Library is a special building in Auburn, Washington. It used to be a library and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical place!
Contents
About the Auburn Library Building
This old library building is made of brick and has two floors. It sits on a strong concrete base. The roof is shaped like a pyramid, called a hip roof, and it sticks out a little bit. The building is about 35 feet wide and 50 feet long.
Building Features
There's a small part of the building that sticks out from the middle of the west side. This part has a special archway made of stone, which is the main entrance. It's about 12 feet tall and has two doors. The building has tall windows in the front. Smaller windows are on the sides and back. Above each window, there's a tiny fixed window with eight triangle-shaped glass panes.
History of the Library
The story of the Auburn Public Library began with dedicated women volunteers. They worked hard to start and run the first libraries in Auburn.
A Gift from Andrew Carnegie
In 1912, the city of Auburn received a wonderful promise. A very rich man named Andrew Carnegie offered $9,000 to build a new library. Carnegie was famous for funding libraries all over the world. The new library opened its doors in 1914.
The Land Donation
The land for the library was a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Authur C. Ballard. They had originally planned the area as the "Town of Slaughter." The Ballards had one important rule for their gift. If the land ever stopped being used as a library, it would go back to their family.
Growing Out of Space
The Carnegie building served the community for many years. But as time went on, it became too small. It couldn't hold all the books and magazines the library owned. In 1962, people in Auburn voted to approve money for a new, bigger library.
A New Chapter
A brand new library opened in 1964. That's when the special rule about the land was remembered. Since the old building was no longer a library, the property went back to the Ballard family.
A True Carnegie Library
The old Auburn Public Library building is a great example of a typical Carnegie library. It looks almost exactly as it did when it was built. The architect who designed it made sure to include all of Andrew Carnegie's ideas for what a library should be.
