Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Carnegie Free Library, Beaver Falls
|
|
Front and northern side of the library
|
|
 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 1301 Seventh Avenue, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1899 |
| Architect | Frederick J. Osterling |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| NRHP reference No. | 85001967 |
| Added to NRHP | September 5, 1985 |
The Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls is a special old library building in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, United States. It was the very first library building built in Beaver County. A famous rich man named Andrew Carnegie paid for it.
This library was designed by a top architect from Pittsburgh. Its grand style actually changed how future Carnegie libraries were built! Many groups in the community have used this building. It is still used as a library today and is known as a historic site.
Contents
How the Library Started
In 1883, some people in the community decided to start a library. They held events like lectures to earn money. At first, the library was very small. It could even fit inside a grocery store!
Even though it was small, many people used it. It was a "subscription library," meaning you had to pay a small fee to borrow books. The community leaders kept holding events to raise more money.
One person they invited to speak was Andrew Carnegie. He couldn't come, but he sent some money to help the library. This made the leaders think big! They decided to ask him for money to build a whole new library building. After talking for several years, Carnegie agreed to give $50,000 for the building.
Building the Library
With the money ready, the library group bought land in downtown Beaver Falls. They hired Frederick J. Osterling, an architect from Pittsburgh, to design the new building. Osterling created a beautiful design in the Neoclassical style.
Construction started in 1899. The library officially opened its doors to the public in December 1903. People in Beaver Falls quickly saw it as a landmark. Its grand look even caught the eye of Andrew Carnegie and his helper, James Bertram.
The Beaver Falls library was so grand that it changed how future Carnegie libraries were built. Carnegie and Bertram thought it was too fancy. So, they decided that new Carnegie libraries would be smaller and have simpler designs.
A Community Hub
This library was the first building in Beaver County built just for a library. But it quickly became much more! It was also a center for the community.
The local school district owned the library. So, it was used for school activities. Things like plays and graduation ceremonies happened on its stage. It was the first building in Beaver County with a stage for performances. This meant it hosted many community events not related to the school.
Later, around 1915, there were so many children in the city that the school needed more space. Some of the library's second floor was used for classrooms. By 1931, all the children could move back to regular school buildings. As time went on, fewer big events happened at the library. But it has always been an important part of the community's culture and buildings.
Library Design
The library building has two floors and is built in the Neoclassical style. It also has some Palladian influences. It is made of yellow brick and sits on a raised stone foundation. The top of the foundation has granite details and is about 4 feet above the ground.
You can see strong supports called buttresses on three sides of the building. These help hold up the roof and divide the walls into sections. There are many windows between these supports. The building has a lot of glass, including a huge stained glass window at the front with a fanlight shape. Because there is so much glass, the building can lose a lot of heat.
Even the highest parts of the library have windows for light. There are dormer windows and a skylight on the roof. Many windows have decorative terracotta trims. Large stone steps lead up to the front entrance. The most striking part of the building is the main entrance on the east side. It has two pairs of columns and a large triangular top part called a pediment. The north and south sides also have nice designs. The back (west) side, which faces an alley, has been changed to help prevent damage or theft.
Inside the Library
Inside, the library has three floors. The basement and first floor are similar to other Carnegie libraries from that time. The basement has utility rooms and spaces for community meetings. The first floor has the main desk where you check out books. It also has areas for bookshelves, reading rooms for adults, and a special space for children.
Upstairs, the second floor holds a special library for family history research. It's called the Beaver County Research and Resource Center for Local History. The city's historical museum is located in the basement.
Most of the original performance hall in the basement was taken apart in 1961. The idea was to make more space for shelves and reading areas. Later, it was rented out to a state government agency. Now, it is used for the city museum.
Not many other big changes have been made to the library. The second-floor ceiling was lowered to help with heating. A small wall was added at the top of the stairs to keep people from falling. But the main floor still has its tall ceilings. Almost all of the building's original wooden parts have never been painted and are still there. You can see beautiful hand-carved details on the walnut and oak wood trim. Some parts even have large Ionic columns that look like they support the ceilings.
Keeping it Special
By the mid-1980s, the school board that managed the library knew how important its architecture was. The building has stayed so well-preserved partly because the board had a rule: no changes that would make it less special.
In 1985, the building became even more famous. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a very important historic place. It was chosen because of its unique architecture and its role in local history. It is one of twenty such places in Beaver County and the only one in Beaver Falls.
The building is still used as a library today. The library is now part of a bigger library system that serves the whole county.
