Perry Carnegie Library Building
Perry Carnegie Library Building | |
Entrance to the library | |
| Location | 1123 Willis Ave. Perry, Iowa |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°50′18″N 94°6′18″W / 41.83833°N 94.10500°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1908 |
| Built by | Courtney and Bolt |
| Architect | Liebbe, Nourse & Rasmussen |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Part of | Downtown Perry Historic District (ID00001005) |
| MPS | Public Library Buildings in Iowa TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 96001061[1] |
| Added to NRHP | October 3, 1996 |
The Perry Carnegie Library Building, also known as the Carnegie Library Museum, is a historic structure located in Perry, Iowa, United States. The Perry Library Association was established in 1894, and William Tarr served as its first librarian.[2] Andrew Carnegie accepted Perry's application for a grant for $10,600 on January 13, 1903.[3] The Des Moines architectural firm of Liebbe, Nourse & Rasmussen designed the Neoclassical building that was built by local contractor Courtney and Bolt. It opened in September 1904 was dedicated on December 10.
The L-shaped building is designed to fit into its triangular lot. The inside of the "L" is filled in and features a rounded outer wall. The building served as a public library for close to 90 years when a new library was built across the street. It was then renovated for use as a library museum. Its collection includes many of the 1,000 original titles from the library, a special collection of Midwest literature, women's fiction, children's books, and books on literacy and libraries.[4] The Carnegie Library Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.[1] It was included as a contributing building in the Downtown Perry Historic District in 2000.[5]
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ Michael W. Farley. "Perry Carnegie Library Building". National Park Service. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ^ "Carnegie Libraries of Iowa Project-Perry Public Library". University of Iowa. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ^ "Carnegie Library". City of Perry, Iowa. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ^ William C. Page. "Downtown Perry Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved April 3, 2016.