Caldwell Carnegie Library (Caldwell, Idaho)
Caldwell Carnegie Library | |
Caldwell Carnegie Library, reopened in 2017 as Veterans Memorial Hall | |
| |
Location | 1101 Cleveland Blvd., Caldwell, Idaho |
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Coordinates | 43°39′44″N 116°41′07″W / 43.66222°N 116.68528°WCoordinates: 43°39′44″N 116°41′07″W / 43.66222°N 116.68528°W |
Area | less than one acre |
Built | 1913 |
Architect | Charles C. Soule |
Architectural style | Renaissance |
NRHP reference # | 79000784[1] |
Added to NRHP | June 18, 1979 |
The Caldwell Carnegie Library in Caldwell, Idaho, also known as the Caldwell Veterans Memorial Hall, was constructed from a grant by the Carnegie library foundation. The building opened in 1914 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places June 18, 1979. Its modest, 1-story Renaissance design is credited to Charles Carroll Soule and features reading rooms on either side of the main entrance. The building also includes a full basement with lecture hall.[2]
History
In 1887 the Woman's Christian Temperance Union founded a private library in Caldwell,[3] and before 1909 the city operated a public library.[4] But in 1909 the Caldwell Commercial Club was actively promoting a new library, and Dr. W. C. Stalker, a Caldwell dentist, wrote to the Carnegie Foundation requesting a grant.[5]
In April, 1912, Caldwell received a grant of $12,500 under the direction of James Bertram, secretary to Andrew Carnegie and supervisor of the Carnegie library grant process.[6] By December, 1912, excavation for a new library was completed at the northeast corner of 11th Avenue and Cleveland Boulevard,[7] although a construction contract was not signed until October, 1913.[8]
Caldwell Carnegie Library opened May 2, 1914, with a ceremony that included an hour of orchestral music and selections by local composer Frederick F. Beale.[9] The library operated until 1976, when it became office space for Caldwell Public Schools.[10]
The building was remodeled in 1929 to include a portico and pediment covering the main entrance.[2]
In 2014 the city reacquired the building, and a lease agreement was reached with the Caldwell Veterans Council.[11] After an extensive renovation that included removal of the front portico added in 1929, the building reopened in 2017 under the name, Caldwell Veterans Memorial Hall.[12]
References
- ↑ National Park Service (2013-11-02). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
- 1 2 Don Hibbard, Jennifer Eastman Attebery (April 28, 2018). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Caldwell Carnegie Library". National Park Service. Retrieved September 23, 2018. With accompanying pictures
- ↑ "Veterans Memorial Hall (Carnegie Library)". Idaho Heritage Trust. Archived from the original on September 17, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- ↑ "Caldwell Needs New Library". The Caldwell Tribune. September 11, 1909. p. 5. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- ↑ "Commercial Club Does Considerable Business". The Caldwell Tribune. November 13, 1909. p. 1. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- ↑ "Andrew Carnegie Offers Caldwell $12,500.00 Library Building". The Caldwell Tribune. April 19, 1912. p. 1. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- ↑ "New $12,000 Library". Evening Capital News. December 1, 1912. p. 8. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- ↑ "Idaho State News". The Meridian Times. October 24, 1913. p. 2. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- ↑ "Caldwell Library Will Be Dedicated To-Morrow". The Caldwell Tribune. May 2, 1914. p. 1. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- ↑ "Caldwell celebrates 100 years of Carnegie library". Idaho Press. October 13, 2013. Archived from the original on July 1, 2018. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- ↑ Anna Webb (September 27, 2016). "Grass-roots effort to build a veterans' hall picks up steam in Caldwell". Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- ↑ "Veterans Council Board". City of Caldwell. Archived from the original on August 31, 2018. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
See also
External links
Further reading
- Notes on the Erection of Library Bildings, James Bertram; printed in Small Library Buildings Since 1890, Thesis by John James McCarthy (University of Illinois, 1904), pp. 130-134. Notes reveals Bertram's practice of alternative spelling advocated by Melvil Dewey, Jennie Dorcas Fellows, and others.
- The Library Journal, April, 1915, pg. 225, discusses the emerging effect of James Bertram's Notes on the Erection of Library Bildings within a greater social context.