|
 Gets Carnegie Library - Red Lodge, MT Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 45° 11.397 W 109° 14.833
12T E 637688 N 5005547
This was one of the last Carnegie Libraries to be built. Designed by W.K Dedrick of Billings, the Red Lodge Carnegie Library did not open until 1919, construction taking place in 1919. It remains the Red Lodge Public Library today.
Waymark Code: WMXNM7
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 02/03/2018
Views: 0
The Classical, brick Carnegie Library (1919), along with the wood frame Northern Pacific Railroad Passenger Depot (1899) and the three story brick Labor Temple (1909), across the street, mark the northern edge of the Red Lodge Commercial Historic District. While the Northern Pacific depot is one of the older buildings in the district, its partner, the Carnegie Library, is one of the newer ones. Though far from the largest or fanciest of the 1,679 Carnegie Libraries built in the country, the Red Lodge library has served with the best of them, remaining in use as the town's public library to this day.
One would have thought that the achievement of obtaining a Carnegie Library for a small town would engender at least a tiny bit of excitement in the press. Instead, what we were able to find was this small article buried on page 13 of the April 5, 1917 edition of the Butte Daily Post, which was not even a local paper.
GETS CARNEGIE LIBRARY
THE BUTTE DAILY POST: THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 1917.
Red Lodge, April 5. By a vote of the taxpayers yesterday the annual tax levy was increased to maintain the $15,000 library building to be donated by Andrew Carnegie. Two years ago the proposition was turned down. The final success of the project was directly due to the work of a band of women who want a library for the benefit of their children.
From the The Butte Daily Post
The Red Lodge City Library opened in the Savoy Hotel in 1914 thanks to the efforts of the Red Lodge Women’s Club. The Club sought the assistance of Andrew Carnegie in securing a permanent library facility. Carnegie donations required that a local governing body provide the building site, promise to arrange for the financial assistance needed for the maintenance of the library, and offer free service for all. The City of Red Lodge agreed to do that, and in 1914, Red Lodge was awarded a $15,000 towards the construction of the library. The building was delayed by World War I, with completion of the facility in 1919. In 1992, a generous donation by the Koski family allowed for a substantial expansion of the original Carnegie building. The Red Lodge Carnegie Library is located on the north end of the Red Lodge Commercial Historical District. The Library Board strives to maintain the historical integrity of the community’s beloved Carnegie building.
From the Red Lodge City Library
Type of publication: Newspaper
When was the article reported?: 04/05/1917
Publication: The Butte Daily Post
Article Url: [Web Link]
Is Registration Required?: no
How widespread was the article reported?: local
News Category: Arts/Culture
|
Visit Instructions:
Give the date of your visit at the news location along with a description of what you learned or experienced.
|