Carnegie-Ellsworth Public Library; Iowa Falls Historical Society Museum

Community members in Iowa falls came together in the early 1900s to raise funds to build this historic public library, which was completed in 1905 with matching funds from industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The land was given to the city by local businessman Eugene Ellsworth, who also contributed funds to the library's construction. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, the building now houses the Iowa Falls Historical Society Museum, the collection of the late artist Pat Clark, the Iowa Falls Area Development Corporation, and Chamber Main Street, which is an organization dedicated to preserving the city's Main Street district. Clark's art collection is displayed on a rotating basis in a gallery that is open to the public.

The Carnegie-Ellsworth library is one of twenty two in Iowa funded by Andrew Carnegie in 1903. In all, he funded 101 libraries in the state between 1889 and 1919. The library's design is striking for its size and type. The most notable feature is the large main entrance pavilion, which features Ionic columns set in between rusticated corner piers and a semi-circular thermal window on top. A statue of a bald eagle rests on the arch and two urns are located on either side of the arch. The center of the roof features an octagon dome.

The Iowa Falls Historical Society was founded in 1990 and was first located in the basement of the post office. After being located in a building across the street from City Hall for a time, it eventually moved to the Carnegie-Ellsworth Library. In addition to running the museum, the Society also operates three other properties: the Dow House, the Illinois Central Depot, and the Mills Tower complex, which includes an Illinois Central caboose.

Pat (short for Patricia) Clark (1941-2015) grew up in Iowa Falls. She worked in embassies and consulates around the world for the U.S. State Department and discovered she had an interest in art. Over the years, she collected art from the countries she lived and worked in and by 1990, her collection had grown to 200 works of art. In 1997, she donated the collection to the Ellsworth Foundation, which supports the Ellsworth Community College. The gallery in the Carnegie-Ellsworth Library opened in 2003.

The Iowa Falls Historical Museum features a number of exhibits including a replica of early downtown, a one-room school, doctor and dentist offices, a beauty shop, jewelry shops, and a library. It also contains an international doll collection and memorabilia of Bill Riley, who was born in Iowa falls and hosted the Bill Riley Iowa State Fair Talent Search from 1959 to 1996.

"Carnegie-Ellsworth Public Library." Iowa Site Inventory. August 1980. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/83000363_text.

"Iowa Falls Historical Museum." Roadtrippers. Accessed November 4, 2021. https://maps.roadtrippers.com/us/iowa-falls-ia/attractions/iowa-falls-historical-museum.

"Iowa Falls Historical Museum." Travel Iowa. Accessed November 4, 2021. https://www.traveliowa.com/destination/iowa-falls-historical-museum/6832.

"Iowa Falls Public Library." Carnegie Libraries in Iowa Project. Accessed November 4, 2021. https://www.carnegielibrariesiowa.org/library/iowa-falls.

"Pat Clark." Pat Clark Art Collection. Accessed November 4, 2021. http://www.patclarkart.org/index.php/pat-clark.