The Carnegie Library Building

There were over 2,500 libraries built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. All of them were built between 1883 and 1929, including 1,689 in the United States and many in Europe, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Serbia, Belgium, France, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands.

Many early libraries were built in places that Carnegie had personal connection, such as his birthplace in Scotland and in the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania area, the town where he emigrated to. In the later years he increased funding for libraries outside of these areas. By the end of his campaign in 1919 there were some 3,500 libraries in the United States, nearly half of them were built by Carnegie.

The libraries were constructed in various traditional styles, to enhance their public attractiveness according to the predominant styles in each community. The style of architecture was chosen by the community. The styles were often formal and welcomed patrons through a prominent doorway. Many were accessed by a stairway from the ground level symbolizing a person’s elevation through learning. Also, many featured a lamppost or lantern near the entrance, meant as a symbol of enlightenment.

Carnegie's grants were very large for the era, and his library philanthropy is one of the most costly philanthropic activities, by value, in history. Small towns received grants of $10,000 that enabled them to build large libraries that immediately were among the most significant town amenities in hundreds of communities.

Our North Central Regional Library system grew and expanded from the Carnegie Library Building to cover one of the largest library districts in the nation.

Wenatchee’s Carnegie Library was built on the grounds of the City’s Memorial Park on land donated by the Wenatchee Development Company. Initially, Judge Thomas Burke, who was president of the Wenatchee Development Company, was against building the library in Memorial Park. A citizens committee was formed for the building of the library who demonstrated to Judge Burke that the contributions made for the construction of the building would not pay for the purchase of another site. Judge Burke finally agreed to sign the deed over to them. The committee then petitioned Andrew Carnegie for $20,000 to build the new library building. He refused this amount of money on the basis that the town was too small and offered $10,000. The committee reluctantly agreed and the building of the library was completed in 1911. That same year another committee was appointed by the mayor to purchase books for the library. 

The Carnegie Library building was used as a library until 1939 until it was moved to the Wenatchee Department Store Annex downtown. (Later in 1953 a new library was built almost across the street from the Carnegie Building.)  A new movement was then started to use the empty library building as a museum and in March of 1939, the building re-opened its doors as the first home of the North Central Washington Museum. A grand opening on April 27, 1939 was presided over by Governor Clarence D. Martin. When the Museum moved in 1976, the City utilized the structure for the Building and Planning offices. In more recent years, the Chamber of Commerce and the City’s Parks Department were housed in the building and today houses the Washington State Apple Blossom administrative offices. The Carnegie Library Building is listed on the National Register and Wenatchee Register of Historic Places.

Although a smaller structure than many Carnegie Library buildings, Wenatchee’s Carnegie Library was constructed of brick with details seen in the central entrance. It features a Palladian temple front punctuated by four pilaster columns and a round arch in brick over the double doors. The doors are contemporary and the transom has been replaced with a single pane of glass. The original sconce lamps have contemporary globes and the hand rails have also been added.  The columns are capped with a capital, an architrave, a frieze, a cornice and a masonry blocking course. The main building has a much larger entablature. The architrave appears only at the corners of the building, but the frieze and the Ionic cornice band the building which is of metal and features dental molding in the middle of the band. On the facade above the transom is a single bordered "hobnail" ornament. Windows feature a heavy lug sill and apron. The flat windows have a unique transom of a pair of geometrically segmented sections of eight radiating bars.  

Polk Directories. Wenatchee, WA. 1907-2006.