COLUMBUS

EARLY LIBRARY HISTORY

The library was established in 1904 by the Shakespeare Club and Home Culture Club which raised $200.00 from an art exhibit. Books were collected, a subscription list was circulated, and memberships were se- cured. Within the year a house was purchased, on the site of the present library, for $1,600.00. The library was opened April 18, 1905.

THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY

Mrs. W. R. Cowley, through correspondence with the Carnegie Corpora- tion, obtained an offer of $10,000.00 for a library building on July 3, 1912. In April of that year voters had been asked to approve a library levy, and the measure passed.

The architectural firm of George P. Washburn & Son, of Ottawa, was en- gaged to design the building. L. C. Coxey, of Columbus, was the general contractor. The building was dedicated September 24, 1913.

DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING

The building is rectangular, one story on a raised basement, with a classical portico above the front entrance, The exterior is of red brick with stone trim. An ornate design above the doors and windows is carried out in a symmetrical manner, There is an elaborate design in the cornice. Handsome light standards flank the front entrance. The roof tile is of a 17th century French style.

LATER LIBRARY HISTORY

In 1960, a collection of more than 250 pieces of exotic carved ivory, "valued conservatively at $4,000.00," was given to the library by Fred T. Evans, of Cedar Lake, Indiana. Evans, who grew up in Columbus, began collecting ivory during World War II when he was stationed in India. For many years this collection brought many people to Columbus to see it, but in June, 1979, thieves broke into the library and stole the entire collection. No trace of it was ever found.

In 1979, a 20' x 30' addition was made to the library. It was built to match and maintain the architectural style of the original building. Crossland Construction Co., the contractor, used all locally-made bricks in the building. To acquire some of the 7,000 bricks, a brick sidewalk had to be purchased and dug up. Roofing tile in the 17th century French style had to be specially ordered from California. The solid concrete base was squarely patterned to match the existing build- ing. The addition houses sections for genealogy materials, local history and Kansas history.

The library now has 24,200 volumes and serves a population of 3,450. 33,000 items were circulated in 1984. The 1985 budget is $24,300.00. The library is a member of the Southeast Kansas Library System.