List of Carnegie libraries in Illinois explained

The following list of Carnegie libraries in Illinois provides detailed information on United States Carnegie libraries in Illinois, where 106 public libraries were built from 105 grants (totaling $1,661,200) awarded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York from 1903 to 1914. In addition, academic libraries were built at five institutions (totaling $90,000).

Key





Carnegie libraries

LibraryCity or
town		ImageDate
granted[1] 		Grant
amount		LocationNotes
align=center 1AledoAledo$10,000200 N. College Ave.In June 1974, the Mercer Carnegie Library was one of two buildings in Aledo named “Landmarks in Mercer County” by the Historic Sites Division of the Illinois Department of Conservation. Closed as a library in April 2019 upon opening of new location.
align=center 2ArcolaArcola$10,000407 E. Main St.
align=center 3AuroraAurora$50,0001 E. Benton St.Opened 22 Aug 1904, extensively altered in 1969, closed 23 May 2015
align=center 4BeardstownBeardstown$10,000105 W. 3rd St.Now city hall
align=center 5BellevilleBelleville$45,000121 E. Washington St.Dedicated 20 Jan 1916
align=center 6BelvidereBelvidere$17,500320 N. State St.Constructed in 1912 and opened to the public in February 1913. A 15,000 square foot expansion was added in 1987.
align=center 7Blue IslandBlue Island$15,000Open 1903–1970
align=center 8BrookfieldBrookfield$10,0003609 Grand BoulevardOpened June 27, 1914. An annex added in 1958 and the building was demolished in 1985 when a new facility was built. On July 31, 2021, the new Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library opened across the street at 3541 Park Avenue. The original Carnegie library site currently serves as the Library's parking lot and Pollinator Garden. The concrete "Public Library" sign from the Carnegie library has been installed in the garden.
align=center 9CarmiCarmi$10,000203 N. Church St.Now a genealogy library
align=center 10CarrolltonCarrollton$10,000509 S. Main St.
align=center 11CentraliaCentralia$20,000515 E. Broadway
align=center 12CharlestonCharleston$15,000712 6th St.Opened 15 Jan 1904
align=center 13Chicago HeightsChicago Heights$15,0001627 Halsted St.Open 1903–1972, demolished 1974
align=center 14ChillicotheChillicothe$10,000822 N. 2nd St.
align=center 15Danville (Main)Danville$65,000[2] 307 N. Vermillion St.Now a museum
align=center 16Danville Veterans BranchDanville—Part of Danville Branch, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers Historic District
align=center 17DecaturDecatur$60,000Demolished 1970
align=center 18DeLandDe Land$8,000130 N. Highway Ave.Open 1912–2009
align=center 19DelavanDelavan$10,000208 Locust St.
align=center 20Des PlainesDes Plaines$5,000Open 1907-1936
align=center 21Downers GroveDowners Grove$8,500Was completely surrounded by an addition in 1956, Demolished 1975
align=center 22EdwardsvilleEdwardsville$12,500112 S. Kansas St.
align=center 23El PasoEl Paso$6,000149 W. 1st St.
align=center 24EvanstonEvanston$50,000Open 1907–1960
align=center 25FarmingtonFarmington$5,600266 E. Fort St.
align=center 26FloraFlora$10,000Open 1903–1990
align=center 27FreeportFreeport$30,000314 W. Stephenson St.Open 1902–2004
align=center 28FultonFulton$5,000501 10th Ave.Opened 27 Oct 1909
align=center 29GalenaGalena$12,500601 S. Bench St.Dedicated 4 July 1908. Part of Galena National Register Historic District
align=center 30GalesburgGalesburg$50,000Opened 1902, burned 9 May 1958
align=center 31GalvaGalva$8,000120 NW 3rd Ave.Opened July 1910
align=center 32GenevaGeneva$7,500127 James St.Opened 1908
align=center 33GilmanGilman$10,000117 E. 2nd St.Open 1916–2002
align=center 34Glen EllynGlen Ellyn$10,000671 Crescent Blvd.Open 1914–1995, extensively altered, now school district offices
align=center 35GrayvilleGrayville$6,000110 W. Mill St.Open 1912–2010
align=center 36GreenupGreenup$8,000101 N. Mill St.Now a museum
align=center 37GreenvilleGreenville$11,000414 W. Main St.
align=center 38GriggsvilleGriggsville$5,000119 S. Corey St.Opened 1916
align=center 39HarrisburgHarrisburg$12,500101 E. Church St.Open 1909–2000, now a church
align=center 40HarveyHarvey$13,500155th St. and Turlington Ave.Open 1906–1971
align=center 41HavanaHavana$8,000201 W. Adams St.Opened 1902
align=center 42Highland ParkHighland Park$12,000Demolished 1929
align=center 43HillsboroHillsboro$11,000214 School St.
align=center 44HoopestonHoopeston$12,500110 N. 4th St.Opened 1905
align=center 45JacksonvilleJacksonville$40,000201 W. College Ave.
align=center 46JerseyvilleJerseyville$12,000105 N. Liberty St.Opened 1904
align=center 47KewaneeKewanee$25,000102 S. Tremont St.Opened 1908
align=center 48La GrangeLa Grange$12,500Open 1905–1968
align=center 49La HarpeLa Harpe$5,000209 E. Main St.Opened 1906
align=center 50LaSalleLaSalle$25,000305 Marquette St.Opened 19 Jan 1907, designed by Chicago architect Victor Andre Matteson
align=center 51LewistownLewistown$5,400321 W. Lincoln Ave.
align=center 52LincolnLincoln$25,000725 Pekin St.
align=center 53LitchfieldLitchfield$15,000400 N. State St.Tourism Office and Chamber of Commerce
align=center 54MacombMacomb$15,000235 S. Lafayette St.Opened 1904
align=center 55MarionMarion$18,000206 S. Market St.Opened 29 Feb 1916
align=center 56MarseillesMarseilles$10,000155 E. Bluff St.Opened 23 Nov 1905
align=center 57MattoonMattoon$25,0001600 Charleston Ave.Opened 1903
align=center 58MaywoodMaywood$12,500121 S. 5th Ave.Opened 31 Mar 1906
align=center 59MendotaMendota$10,000901 Washington St.Now a museum
align=center 60MetropolisMetropolis$9,000317 Metropolis St.Dedicated 27 Nov 1915
align=center 61MilfordMilford$7,0002 S. Grant Ave.
align=center 62MolineMoline$40,000504 17th St.Open 1903–2008
align=center 63MorrisMorris$12,500604 Liberty St.Open 1913–1970, replaced on the same site
align=center 64Mount CarmelMount Carmel$15,000120 E 5th StCurrently in use as an attorney's office. In use as a Library til 1970
align=center 65Mount CarrollMount Carroll$11,000208 N. Main St.
align=center 66Mount VernonMount Vernon$15,000101 S. 7th St.Opened 1905
align=center 67OlneyOlney$11,500401 E. Main St.Now a museum
align=center 68OnargaOnarga$5,000209 W. Seminary Ave.Opened 1907
align=center 69OregonOregon$10,000300 Jefferson St.Designed by Pond and Pond.
align=center 70PanaPana$14,000303 E. 2nd St.
align=center 71ParisParis$18,000207 S. Main St.
align=center 72Park RidgePark Ridge$7,5001 N. Northwest Hwy.Open 1913–1957, now a beauty salon. Designed by Pond and Pond.[3]
align=center 73PaxtonPaxton$10,000254 S. Market St.
align=center 74PekinPekin$17,500Open 1902–1972, demolished 1974
align=center 75Peoria Lincoln BranchPeoria$20,0001312 W. Lincoln Ave.Renovated and a 12,000 foot addition was constructed on the rear of the building in 2013.
align=center 76PeruPeru$15,000Putnam St.Open 1910–1986
align=center 77PetersburgPetersburg$8,000220 S. 6th St.
align=center 78PittsfieldPittsfield$7,500205 N. Memorial St.
align=center 79PlanoPlano$10,25015 W. North St.
align=center 80PoloPolo$10,000302 W. Mason St.
align=center 81Ridge FarmRidge Farm$9,000104 N. State St.
align=center 82RobinsonRobinson$11,000301 E. Main St.Open 1906-1976
align=center 83RochelleRochelle$10,000619 4th Ave.
align=center 84RockfordRockford$70,000215 N. Wyman St.Was completely surrounded by a 1967 addition; demolished in 2018
align=center 85RushvilleRushville$7,500104 N. Monroe St.
align=center 86SavannaSavanna$11,350326 3rd St.
align=center 87SheffieldSheffield$4,000136 E. Cook St.
align=center 88ShelbyvilleShelbyville$10,000154 N. Broadway
align=center 89SheldonSheldon$9,000125 N. 5th St.
align=center 90Spring ValleySpring Valley$15,000215 E. Cleveland St.
align=center 91SpringfieldSpringfield$75,000Demolished in 1974[4]
align=center 92St. CharlesSt. Charles$12,5001 S. 6th Ave.
align=center 93SterlingSterling$17,500102 W. 3rd St.
align=center 94StreatorStreator$35,000130 S. Park St.
align=center 95SycamoreSycamore$12,000103 E. State St.
align=center 96TaylorvilleTaylorville$14,000222 W. Market St.Opened 1904, now a law office
align=center 97ToulonToulon$6,000306 W. Jefferson St.
align=center 98TuscolaTuscola$10,000112 E. Sale St.
align=center 99ViennaVienna$6,000401 Poplar St.
align=center 100WarrenWarren$7,000210 Burnett Ave.
align=center 101WatermanWaterman$3,500110 S. Elm St.
align=center 102WaukeganWaukegan$27,5001 N. Sheridan Rd.Open 1903–1965
align=center 103WaverlyWaverly$4,500291 N. Pearl St.
align=center 104WilmetteWilmette$11,000Open 1905–1951
align=center 105WinchesterWinchester$7,500215 N. Main St.
align=center 106WyomingWyoming$5,600119 N. 7th St.

Academic libraries

InstitutionLocalityImageYear
granted		Grant
amount		LocationNotes
align=center 1Ewing CollegeEwingalign=right $10,000
align=center 2Monmouth CollegeMonmouthalign=right $30,000800 block of East BroadwayNow Poling Hall, houses the business, dean of students, and registrar offices and the career center[5]
align=center 3North-Western CollegeNapervillealign=right $25,000Now Carnegie Hall, houses the computer science department at North Central College
align=center 4Shurtleff CollegeUpper Altonalign=right $15,000Now the biomedical library for Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine
align=center 5University of ChicagoChicagoalign=right $10,0001116 E. 59th St.Andrew Carnegie was one of many donors to the William Rainey Harper Memorial Library which opened June 11, 1912.

See also

References

Note: The above references, while all authoritative, are not entirely mutually consistent. Some details of this list may have been drawn from one of the references (usually Jones) without support from the others. Reader discretion is advised.

Notes and References

  1. At various times, Bobinski and Jones disagree on these numbers. In these cases, Jones' numbers have been used due to both a more recent publication date and a more detailed gazetteer of branch libraries, which are often where the discrepancies occur.
  2. This is the total grant for both Danville branches.
  3. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=64500205}} National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation: Illinois Carnegie Libraries ]. Karen E. Schnell . November 10, 1993 . October 6, 2016 . 52.
  4. Web site: Remnants of Springfield's Carnegie library unearthed at fairgrounds. November 10, 2011. State Journal-Register.
  5. Web site: Wackerle Center for Career, Leadership & Fellowships . 2024-02-04 . www.monmouthcollege.edu . en.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "List of Carnegie libraries in Illinois".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.