Ritzville Carnegie Library, Ritzville, WA - Carnegie Library Buildings on Waymarking.com

Rizville is located in Adams County, Washington, an agricultural town of about 1,600 that was first settled in 1880 by William McKay. The town was named in honor of Philip Ritz, who came to the area two years later. Railroad executive John W. Sprague of the Northern Pacific Railway was the builder of the first home, in 1881, and it was utilized as a hotel for railroad workers until additional facilities were built.

As additional citizens moved to the area, a railroad depot was built, and other services soon followed (the post office was built in 1883, First Congregational Church was built in 1885, and by 1887 there were three general merchandise stores, a drug store, a saloon, two blacksmiths, two lumber yards, two stable/liverys, a harness shop, two hotels, and a large schoolhouse.)
As is often the case in frontier towns, Ritzville suffered a tragic massive fire in 1888 which distroyed nearly every business. Replacement buildings were erected using brick, beginning with the home of the town's first mayor, N. H. Greene whose brick home was built in 1889 and still stands today.

The community soon engaged in successful wheat and cattle production, and the community began to yern for knowledge and culture. in 1902, a local farmer and politician named Daniel Buchanan donated more than 500 books from his personal library to start a free public library. Other donations of furniture and money trickled in, and with the donation of $10,500 from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, building of a new permanant library began in 1907. This building still stands and is still used as the library today.

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The sign on the front of the library reads:
"RITZVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY 1907

Funded by Andrew Carnegie, this well preserved building is one of fourteen Carnegie-funded libraries in Eastern Washington. It was one of the earliest dedications and one of the most generous grants made. Pror to this structure being built the first school session of Adams County was held in a shanty on this sight in 1881. Due to the growth in student numbers, school was held at a different site the next year. The structure features a restrained neoclassical style and has been in continuous use as a library since its construction. It was added to the National Register in 1982.

(Historic Ritzville Walking Tour)"

Address of Library Building: 302 W. Main St. Ritzville, WA USA 99169 Current Use of Building: Library, education, meetings Year Built (optional): 1907 Website about building: [Web Link]

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