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Columbia Branch Library

Introduction

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Columbia Branch Library. A one-room Georgian style building was designed for Columbia Park overlooking the streetcar tracks. Local citizens contributed $2,500 and the city $2,000 toward the purchase of the new site, with $35,000 donated by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie for constructing and furnishing. With great civic pride and 6,670 books, the library opened on December 30, 1915, with a committee of Rainier Valley ladies greeting visitors from 10 A.M to 10 P.M.

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Backstory and Context

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This building was a part of Andrew Carnegie's funding of local libraries around the mid 1910s. The Columbia Branch Library specifically was built starting in 1914 and ending in 1915. While locals raised $2,500, around $65,600 in 2020 dollars, for the building, Carnegie contributed most of the cost of $35,000 ($900,000 in 2020 dollars.) Built as a large single room, this library was split into sections based on its designated use. A children's collection, a collection for adult books, a workroom for employees and a dedicated "story hour" room. Relatively recently, this library has been the recipient of renovations and additions, designed by Caldwell Architects.

Sources

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Seattle Government. December 16th 2004. Accessed September 23rd 2020. http://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/Neighborhoods/HistoricPreservation/HistoricDistricts/ColumbiaCity/ColumbiaCity-National-Register-Nomination.pdf.

Additional Information