Davenport Public Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Davenport Public Library |
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| Main Branch | |
| Country | United States |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1877 |
| Location | 321 N. Main St. 3000 N. Fairmount St. 6000 Eastern Ave. Davenport, Iowa |
| Coordinates | 41°31′23.52″N 90°34′30.72″W / 41.5232000°N 90.5752000°W |
| Collection | |
| Size | 372,826 |
| Access and use | |
| Circulation | 946,114 (2011) |
| Other information | |
| Director | Amy Groskopf |
| Website | www.davenportlibrary.com |
| Phone number | 563-326-7832 |
| References: | |
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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| Built | 1968 |
| Architect | Edward Durell Stone |
| Architectural style | New Formalism |
| Part of | Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District (ID100005546) |
| Added to NRHP | September 11, 2020 |
The Davenport Public Library is a public library located in Davenport, Iowa. It has a long history, starting way back in 1839. Today, the Main Library is in a building designed by Edward Durell Stone. He was also the architect for the Kennedy Center.
The Davenport Public Library system has three locations. These are the Main Library at 321 Main Street, the Fairmount Branch Library at 3000 N. Fairmount Street, and the Eastern Avenue Branch Library at 6000 Eastern Avenue.
How the Library Started
The library began in 1839 as a reading room inside the Le Claire Hotel. Another reading room and a circulating library were mentioned in a newspaper in 1853. This early library eventually rented an entire building. It was called the Young Men's Library Association. However, women in the community actually managed it.
In 1877, one of these women, Clarissa Cook, offered $10,000 for a new library building. She said she would donate the money if the citizens bought land for it. People successfully raised the money for the land. The city then laid the first stone for the Cook Memorial Building on November 7, 1877.
Growing Bigger
The library soon became too small for its needs. Even though the Library Association did not pay rent and charged fees, it struggled with money. Local author Alice French asked her friend Andrew Carnegie for help. Carnegie was famous for helping libraries.
Carnegie promised to give $50,000 to build a new public library. This was if the city would support the library with taxes. The idea was put to a vote in April 1900. This was the first election in Iowa where women could vote. The city approved the plan.
The new Carnegie library opened in 1904. It was the largest Carnegie library west of the Mississippi River. Andrew Carnegie donated $75,000 for its construction. The building was designed by Calvin Kiessling, an architect from Boston. Marilla Waite Freeman was the first director in this new Carnegie building.
A New Main Building
By 1960, the Carnegie Building was also too small. It was expanded in 1963 to add more services for kids. But this expansion caused problems with the building's foundation. This led to damage to the structure.
In 1966, the Carnegie Building had to be taken down. The library moved temporarily to an old department store. A new library building was then built. This new building was designed by architect Edward Durell Stone. It opened on October 6, 1968. In 2020, this building was recognized as an important part of the Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Library Branches
The library had always had small branches in local schools. But it opened its first official branch on April 3, 1978. This was the Annie Wittenmyer Branch, which was about 4,200 square feet. It was located in the historic Annie Wittenmyer Complex. The rooms used to be the kitchen and dining room of the former Iowa Soldiers' Orphans' Home.
However, the area grew, and this branch was close to the Main Library. So, officials started looking for better places for a branch in the mid-1980s. In 2003, the people of Davenport voted to support building two new library branches.
The Annie Wittenmyer Branch closed in November 2005. The Fairmount Branch Library opened on Saturday, January 14, 2006. The Eastern Avenue Branch Library opened on Saturday, July 10, 2010. These openings completed the library expansion project.
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Fairmount Branch
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Eastern Avenue Branch
