Duluth Public Library (Carnegie Building)

The historic Duluth Public Library (formerly known as the Carnegie library building) opened in 1902 as the first stand-alone library in Duluth. However, the genesis of Duluth's library system occurred in 1869 when a small group of pioneer businessmen in Duluth organized a reading room in an upstairs room of a store building. After several moves and hiring the first librarian in 1890, the library quickly expanded. By 1902, with the help of a large donation from Andrew Carnegie, the library finally opened its first exclusive library building.

After opening the 1869 reading room, the board moved the library twice during the 1870s and '80s. Finally, in 1890, the library signed a five-year lease to occupy the second floor of the old Masonic Temple Building. A month after moving into the new facility, the library held 3,200 books managed by the newly hired librarian Olin S. Davis of Topeka, Kansas. Davis spent several months selecting and cataloging books, as well as maintaining a reading room equipped only with a few newspapers and books. Under Davis' management, the first free public library books became available to Duluth residents in October of 1890. 

Increasing demands for space and items pushed the library board to seek a larger building, preferably a permanent structure they no longer had to share. In 1899, Andrew Carnegie, as part of his many philanthropic endeavors, provided two payments amounting to $75,000 (equal to roughly $2 million in 2020) that made it possible to construct a new facility in 1902. After five years, the library amassed more than 40,000 volumes. The Duluth Public Library served as the first of three Carnegie libraries to open in Duluth; two branches opened in 1912 and 1917. The historic library expanded in 1927 to accommodate more books and facilities.

The Neo-Classic design of the building itself is among the most exquisite of Duluth's public buildings. Marble floors, lavish decor, and an eye-catching staircase exist as many of the building's striking interior features. It's most prominent exterior item involves the large dome in the center of the library. Still, the dome's beauty did not match its functionality. Throughout its history, the dome has routinely leaked and needed significant repairs. 

The Carnegie library served as Duluth's main library until 1980 when it relocated to a new downtown. Renovations to the library allowed it to transition into an office building, though the property has changed hands and undergone numerous renovations well into the twenty-first century.

Boelk, Tayler. "The Duluth Library and How it Grew." Duluth Library Foundation. duluthlibraryfoundation.org. Spring, 2015. https://duluthlibraryfoundation.org/who-we-are/library-history/. 

"Duluth Public Library." Zenith City Press. zenithcity.com. Accessed August 11, 2020. http://zenithcity.com/archive/historic-architecture/duluth-public-library-1902/. 

Nelson, Charles W. "Nomination Form: Duluth Public Library." National Register of Historic Places. nps.gov. May 5, 1978. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/133b83ba-c6ce-4af8-8f01-421a166788e0.