Cave & Company Printing; Westfield, Indiana
Posted by: 
boatchick
N 40° 02.570 W 086° 07.704
16T E 574353 N 4432875
Outgrown by the 1980s, the former Carnegie Library in Westfield, Indiana is now the home of a printing business.
Waymark Code: WM6CTW
Location: Indiana, United States
Date Posted: 05/14/2009
Views: 17
At the turn of the 20th century, Westfield, Indiana was already home to an established library, and several ladies' reading groups were strong supporters. The library collections had been kept in a small storeroom and later, a little cottage before Westfield approached the Andrew Carnegie to request a library grant. In April 1910, the town was awarded $9000 to construct a permanent, dedicated library building. Architect R.P. Daggett of Indianapolis was hired to design it. By September, grading and excavation were nearly complete, and construction was soon to begin.
The library's grand opening was on 1 July 1911. Library Occurrent describes the building thus:
"The main floor includes a reading room, a department for children with little chairs and tables, a librarian's work room, and a magazine or study room. In the basement is the furnace room, store room, and auditorium with a seating capacity of one hundred."
Speeches were given by the ladies' reading groups as well as by representatives of the church and the school.
Westfield's library was enlarged in 1917 to accommodate their 3000 volume collection. By the late 1970s, a decision was made to build a new, larger library, rather than attempting to expand the old one. By 1983, the Carnegie building was replaced by a new structure. Today, the former library is the home of Cave and Company Printing. It is located on Main Street between a small city park and a drive-in restaurant.
References:
Library Occurrent, Indiana Public Library Commission, Indiana State Library: Number 8 (May 1907); Volume 2, Number 8 (September 1910); V.2 No.12 (September 1911)
Westfield Washington Public Library website