Clinton Public Library

Erected in 1904, the Clinton Public Library was one of many libraries built around the country using funds donated from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. It is the main branch of two libraries that serve the Clinton community. Designed by Chicago architecture firm Patton & Miller in the Beaux-Arts style, the library features a limestone exterior, a large portico with Doric columns, concave side walls of the front pavilion, and decorative stonework particularly above the main entrance. The library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1893.

Residents began calling for a public library in Clinton at the turn of the century. The mayor at the time, George D. McDaid, sent a letter to Andrew Carnegie in 1901 formally requesting funds for the project. Carnegie initially offered $30,000 but eventually agreed to pay $45,000. In turn, the city agreed to find a site for the building and provide an annual operating budget. Voters approved the project in 1902 and construction began in June 1903. It opened in 1904 on the day Theodore Roosevelt was elected to his second term as president. In November that year, well over 5,000 books were checked out. In December, nearly 7,000 books were checked out. The library has remained an integral part of the community ever since.

"About." Clinton Public Library. Accessed October 19, 2021. https://clintonpubliclibrary.us/about.

Klingensmith, Samuel J. "Clinton Public Library." Iowa State Inventory, Division of Historic Preservation, Iowa State Historical Department. August 1980. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/bac9807d-f725-42c0-a3ce-40dfae6ac5cf.