Camden Free Public Library Main Building

Andrew Carnegie was born poor in Scotland in 1835 but amassed a fortune after moving to the U.S. in railroads and steel. He offered funds to towns to build and equip libraries in the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, as long the the town supplied a site, put up some of its own funds toward construction, and promised to fund yearly upkeep. Carnegie donated to many charitable causes, but has been called the "patron saint of libraries" for this program, which ended up donating over $56 million to over 2,500 libraries worldwide. The Carnegie Library built in Camden from 1904 to 1905 was constructed before Carnegie came up with a set of architectural guidelines for his program's libraries in 1911. The auditorium built in the Camden Free Public Library would probably have been considered unnecessary under Carnegie's guidelines to build what was needed and not frills.

The Camden Free Public Library (CFPL) building was the first free library in Camden and remained in service for 81 years. It was possible after New Jersey passed a law in 1901 that allowed the state to tax citizens to raise funds for free public libraries. The effort to apply for Carnegie funds for Camden was spearheaded by a local bacteriologist and novelist, Dr. Dowling Benjamin. In 1903 the city was awarded $100,000 and pledged to contribute $10,000. Camden split the award into three parts, with $80,000 for the main building and $10,000 for each of two branch locations. The lot for the main library was bought from Paul Shinn in November 1903 for $15,000.

The building is two stories tall on a raised basement and is faced in Roman brick on three sides, and common brick on the rear (east). The foundation is stone, faced with limestone on the two sides facing the streets. The brick building's decorative trim and ornaments are made of limestone. The main entrance pavilion is centered on the Broadway facade and is reached by steps. The entrance is flanked by pilasters supporting a full entablature with a bracketed cornice and pediment with a molded cartouche and cornucopia. Inscribed on the frieze of the cornice are names of famous literary persons. The Line Street side of the building is divided into three sections with the central section projecting; a string course is decorated with garlands; the cornice and parapet are similar to those seen on the building's front. The two non-street-facing sides are simpler, with a pressed metal cornice below a brick parapet. The roof is a low mansard type; much of its copper and slate was deteriorated or missing when the building was documented for the National Register in the early 1990s.

Although the building's original windows had been replaced some time before the 1980s, the building's interior was badly deteriorated by 1991 after roof failure and the resulting water damage. The original condition of the interior included Beaux Arts decorative touches: faux ashlar walls with cornices, pilasters, and panels made of plaster. The curved staircases of oak rails had bold finials. The focal point of the building was the main reading room, with a central eight-sided desk and eight radiating stacks with oak or faux oak bookcases. The stacks were fifteen feet tall with built-in steps. Each stack had its own stair to reach the second story's stacks and balcony seating areas. The second story also featured a square auditorium topped by a fancy coffered ceiling with a central skylight; the stage had been removed in 1960.

Lacking upgraded electrical systems and air conditioning, the building was not suitable to hold computers. The City of Camden was in economic decline and decided not to make these changes to the main library building, which was abandoned in December 1986. Instead, an existing building that once held a local gas and electric company was renovated to become the main library. The collapse of the skylight into the 1905 building's auditorium caused much of the room's plaster to be destroyed from water damage. Vandalism also took its toll on the building's interior by the early 1990s. The city library system has since been consolidated with Camden County's.

Thompson, Robert. NRHP Nomination of Camden Free Public Library Main Building. National Register. Washington, DC. National Park Service, 1992.