Carnegie Heritage Centre facts for kids
The Carnegie Heritage Centre is a special old building in Hull, England. It was first built to be a Carnegie library, which is a library funded by a famous businessman named Andrew Carnegie. Today, it's a place where people can learn about local history and their family's past.
Contents
What is the Carnegie Heritage Centre?
The Carnegie Heritage Centre is a building with a rich history. It's known as a "grade II listed building," which means it's officially recognized as an important historical site. This helps protect it for future generations.
A Gift from Andrew Carnegie
The building first opened in 1905 as the Carnegie Free Library. It was Hull's fifth branch library. A very wealthy man named Andrew Carnegie donated £3,000 to help build it. He was famous for funding libraries all over the world, believing that everyone should have access to books and knowledge.
The library is located near West Park. It has a unique look because it's built in a "half-timbered" style. This means it has a wooden frame that you can see on the outside walls, with the spaces in between filled with other materials. This style is quite rare for a Carnegie library.
From Library to Heritage Hub
The building served as a public library for many years, until 2003. After that, library services moved to a new place nearby, and the old building was empty for a while.
In 2006, a group of people formed the Carnegie Heritage Action Team. Their goal was to save the building and turn it into a place for local and family history. Thanks to their hard work, the centre officially opened in August 2008.
What Happens There Now?
Today, the Carnegie Heritage Centre is run by a group called Carnegie Heritage Centre Ltd. It's a busy place where you can find lots of information about Hull's past.
- Local History: The centre holds many old documents and records about the local area. These came from Hull College when their history unit closed.
- Family History: The East Yorkshire Family History Society also has its research materials here. This means you can visit to learn about your ancestors and build your family tree.
- Bookbinding: There's even a special workshop where people learn the old craft of bookbinding, which is how books are made and repaired.
- Events and Courses: The centre hosts different local history events and classes, including courses from the WEA. It's a great place to learn more about the history of your community.
The Carnegie Heritage Centre is a wonderful example of how an old building can be given a new purpose, continuing to serve the community by preserving and sharing its history.
