Trinity Baptist Church Office, Marion, Ohio
Posted by: 
boatchick
N 40° 35.148 W 083° 07.710
17T E 319867 N 4494955
Now used as church offices and a chapel, the Marion Carnegie building was the town's library for over 70 years.
Waymark Code: WM5B8E
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 12/11/2008
Views: 16
Marion, Ohio has a long history of library service. A local industrialist named Edward Huber seems to have been a kindred spirit to Andrew Carnegie. In 1886, Huber established a library for the factory laborers who worked for him. Other employers in Marion followed suit, and a library association was formed. The library was a subscription service, and people of the town donated books to the collection. By 1891, the library was opened to the public and funded by a tax levy.
A Carnegie grant of $28,500 was secured in 1905. The building was designed by the Columbus firm of Richards, McCarthy, and Bulford, who also designed the Anderson, Indiana Carnegie Library. Grand opening was on 01 July 1907. The library was expanded in 1957 and again in 1963. In 1980, the Marion Library moved to its new location on Church Street, and the Trinity Baptist Church bought the old building for $125,000. After remodeling, it has been used as the Christian Center chapel and for church offices.
References:
Armentrout, Mary Ellen Carnegie Libraries of Ohio
Trinity Baptist Church History