Public Library - Richfield, UT - Carnegie Library Buildings on Waymarking.com

This Carnegie Library, located at 83 East Center Street in Richfield, Utah is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A plaque outside the entrance reads:

RICHFIELD CARNEGIE LIBRARY
Built in 1913-14, the Richfield Carnegie Library is one of 23 Carnegie Libraries in Utah and one of over 1650 library buildings in the United States that were built by millionaire/philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie donated the entire cost of the building on the condition that the town provide the land, books, librarian and an annual maintenance budget. The Richfield Carnegie Library is the only Carnegie Library designed in the Craftsman Style and is one of the very few examples of the Craftsmen Style on a non-residential building in the state. The Richfield Carnegie Library was designed and built by Archibald G. Young, a local architect/builder, who is credited with constructing numerous buildings in the Richfield area.

The following is from the Utah State Historical Society application, on behalf of this library, to the National Register of Historic Places:

The Richfield Carnegie Library was built in 1913 with a $10,000 grant from millionaire/philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie funded the construction of over 1650 library buildings in the U.S., 23 of which were built in Utah communities. The major conditions upon which all Carnegie grants were given were that the recipient community donate the building site and provide an annual maintenance budget of at least 10% of the grant amount. On January 6, 1911, H.N. Hayes, Secretary of the Richfield Library Board, received a letter of response from Andrew Carnegie granting the city's request for $10,000 for the erection of a "Free Public Library Building." The conditions of the grant were apparently somewhat difficult to meet, for it was not until May 23, 1912 that the mayor and city council, with the citizens support, officially accepted the Carnegie offer by passing a resolution authorizing the purchase of grounds for the library and the maintenance of the building.

The library building was the city's first library, and it has continued in use to the present as the town's only public library. Dedication ceremonies for the building were held on May 14, 1913 and Olena Christianson was appointed as the first librarian. The building was apparently built and designed by Archibald G. Young, a local architect/builder, who is credited with constructing numerous buildings in the Richfield area, including the Sevier County Courthouse, the Piute County Courthouse, the Federal Building in Richfield, the Richfield Elementary School, the Sevier Stake Seminary
Building, and the Young Block.

The Richfield Library relied heavily on the town residents for support in obtaining books, as evidenced by the "book showers" held in 1914 and 1916, the latter yielding over 300 books which were donated to the library by individuals. The shortage of books in the Richfield Library during its early years of operation was a problem common to many Carnegie libraries in small towns, where the relatively substantial maintenance costs for the buildings left little money for the purchase of books. This problem was probably more acute in Richfield, because the collecting of books began in
Richfield only with the erection of this library building, whereas other communities already had functioning libraries prior to the construction of their Carnegie libraries.

Address of Library Building: 83 East Center Street Richfield, UT USA 84701 Current Use of Building: Library Year Built (optional): 1913 Website about building: [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log User Rating   09/03/2011 Chasing Blue Sky visited it