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  Table of Contents about Andrew Carnegie About Allen Gardiner, author of The Carnegie Legacy in Kansas Further information about Libraries featured in this book Carnegie Legacy in Kansas logo: Link that takes you to the home page  

WASHINGTON

EARLY LIBRARY HISTORY
 
Several friends met with Mrs. Alta Barley Eves and organized a library association in the autumn of 1899. This was the forerunner of the present Washington Library.
 
Carnegie Library: Washington, Kansas

 
THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY
 
Claude E. Ingalls, editor of the Washington Republic Register, and a stalwart member of the library board, led the "spirited campaign" to obtain a Carnegie library. On April 23, 1908, Andrew Carnegie offered $5,000.00 for a building.
 
A site on East Second Street (Lots 22 and 23 of Block 10) was chosen for the library location. The Old Soldier's Reunion Committee helped raise funds to purchase the site. (They also donated $700.00 for the library building cost.)
 
A "Kansas City architect" was engaged (his name has been lost) to design the building. Bids were opened May 13, and a contract was written with J. L. Winsor, of Washington, May 13, 1909, for $4,738.00.* O. W. Cook was "put in as boss of the building." The library was opened in the spring of 1910.
 
DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING
 
The building was rectangular, one story on a raised basement, red brick exterior on a limestone foundation. The trim was of white stone. Ionic columns supported a classical portico at the front entrance. One of the outstanding features of the building was beautiful leaded and beveled glass panels in the office workroom window.
 
LATER LIBRARY HISTORY
 
In February, 1915, the Tuesday Music Club, the Study Club and the Literature Club were given permission to finish the basement and to use the same for their study purposes provided that the work was done under the supervision of a library board member.
 
Because a new building was needed, a bond issue was passed in 1975 and planning began for a new library. Bill Behrman of the firm of Novak and Lay designed the new library, and Norman Elliott, the contractor, built it. The old Carnegie library building was razed in order to build the new library on the same site north of the courthouse square. The new building was opened in 1976.
 
The library now has 23,700 volumes and serves a population of 1,500. 21,800 items were circulated in 1984. The 1985 budget is $20,400.00. The library is a member of the North Central Kansas Library System.
 
*Although most of the written histories give the amount as $4,739.00, we have examined a copy of the contract which states $4,738.00.