Frances Perkins Branch Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Frances Perkins Branch Library
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 470 W. Boylston St., Worcester, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1913 |
| Architect | L. W. Briggs Company |
| MPS | Worcester MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000511 |
| Added to NRHP | March 5, 1980 |
The Frances Perkins Branch Library is a special part of the public library system in Worcester, Massachusetts. It used to be called the Greendale Branch Library. This library is located at 470 West Boylston Street. It's in a beautiful building that was partly paid for by a famous rich person, Andrew Carnegie. The building was finished in 1913. Because it's so important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Contents
The Library's Design and Story
This library is on the north side of Worcester. You can find it on the east side of West Boylston Street, right on the corner of Kendrick Avenue. It's a one-story building made of brick with nice light-colored stone decorations. The roof is tiled and slopes downwards, with a fancy edge.
The front of the building has a part that sticks out in the middle. This is where the main door is. Tall, decorative columns stand next to the door. Above the door is a rounded, half-circle shape.
How the Library Began
Worcester's public library system started in 1859. It began with books that people donated. At first, all the books were kept in one main library. In 1895, the city tried something new. They set up a place in a shop in the Greendale area where people could pick up and drop off books. This idea worked really well! So, they started doing it in other parts of the city too.
A Gift from Andrew Carnegie
In 1908, people started a campaign to build more branch libraries. That's when Andrew Carnegie stepped in. He was a very wealthy businessman who made his money in steel. He loved libraries and gave a lot of money to build them all over the world. He gave Worcester $75,000! This money helped build three new branch libraries, including this one.
The library was designed by an architect named Lucius W. Briggs. His company, the L. W. Briggs Company, finished building it in 1913.
Renamed for a Trailblazer
In 1994, the library was renamed to honor Frances Perkins. She was an amazing woman who lived in Worcester when she was young. Frances Perkins made history as the very first woman to be part of the Cabinet of the United States. The Cabinet is a group of important advisors to the President.
She served as the United States Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945. This was during the entire time Franklin D. Roosevelt was president. She led the Department of Labor through some very challenging times, like the Great Depression and World War II.
