Carnegie Libraries Across America Celebrates the Contributions of a Library Hero

There was a time in America when the wealthiest citizens liked to use their abundant funds to build various buildings and institutions that would bear their names and long outlive them, such as university buildings and museums. One such philanthropist was Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish American who became one of the richest people in American history through his expansion of the steel industry in the nineteenth century.

Today, Carnegie Libraries Across America celebrates and documents the massive work funded by Carnegie in America and several other countries around the world. Here’s what you need to know about Carnegie as a person, businessman, and philanthropist—and how you can participate in his extensive library legacy.

Andrew Carnegie

Carnegie was born in Scotland in 1835 to a weaver and his wife, a family of modest means. The family struggled to earn enough to survive, and in 1848, they moved to the United States, where Andrew and his father were hired in a cotton mill. Carnegie eventually moved on to a telegraph office where he met many influential people. He was also able to take advantage of the personal library of Colonel James Anderson and worked hard to educate himself.

Eventually, Carnegie ended up working with telegraphs at the railroads, where he made more useful connections and accrued enough money and relationships to begin investing in businesses that supplied rails and bridges to the railroads. His decades of investments and connections ultimately led him to found United States Steel Corporation (U.S. Steel) when he was 65. About that time, he became engaged with the idea of using his wealth in various philanthropic ventures, particularly projects that would advance social and educational possibilities in the public interest—including libraries.

While history has lauded him for his wealth and the resulting extensive philanthropy, there have been controversies as part of his legacy too. Especially notable is the 1892 Homestead Strike, a labor event that lasted 143 days and resulted in several union members’ deaths. Peace was not restored until a militia was brought in to end the resistance.

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Carnegie and Libraries

Being able to educate himself through access to a private library while working as a telegraph operator was a foundational experience for Carnegie; he later said that during those young years, he determined that if he ever had surplus wealth, he’d use it to help others access free book loans. In 1883, he began paying that experience forward by funding buildings to be used as public libraries.

Initially, he built libraries in places related to his life, namely Scotland and Philadelphia. But by 1899, his scope significantly increased to include other cities, states, and countries, facilitating the construction of university libraries as well as public ones. The building continued after his death in 1919. By 1929, his wealth had built 2,509 libraries in areas ranging from nearly 1,700 in the US, 660 in the UK and Ireland, 125 in Canada, and the remainder across Belgium and France, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, Fiji, Malaysia, and South Africa, among others.

Today, many of the still-existing buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. About 800 of the Carnegie libraries are still operating as libraries.

The Carnegie Libraries Mapping Project

Given that America was where Carnegie found his success and permanent home, it’s not surprising that the country was the primary recipient of his libraries. That’s where the Carnegie Libraries Mapping Project comes in. The project is offered by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, which was established as a grant-giving organization by Carnegie himself in 1911. It’s a vast mapping project that helps users (at no cost) find where Carnegie libraries are across the US.

That’s a bigger project than it might appear at first glance. Given that there were originally nearly 1,700 Carnegie libraries built, some of which no longer exist or are being used in other ways, and the original archival information isn’t always accurate, it’s a large-scale effort to preserve and present this history.

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Historic for Many Reasons

Today, many of these libraries are historic not just because Carnegie built them, but for various reasons, including other historical aspects and architectural features. Some especially iconic Carnegie libraries include:

Carnegie Free Library of Braddock

The Carnegie Free Library of Braddock was the first Carnegie library in the United States, located in a suburb of Pittsburgh. In its early days, it was a magnificent building, but as the local industrial economy suffered during the mid-twentieth century, the library was affected as well. It was slated for destruction, but a group of residents fought to keep the building. The library was rescued and renovated and still serves the community today.

Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square

The Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square opened in Washington, DC, in 1903 and is known as one of the most elaborate Carnegie libraries. Its striking exterior was done in the Beaux-Arts style, constructed of white marble on a pink granite base, along with copper roofing and wooden windows and doors. Today, the building has been repurposed into a community hub featuring the DC History Center and a global flagship Apple Store.

Flagg-Rochelle Public Library

Rochelle, Illinois, is home to the Flag-Rochelle Public Library, which was built in 1912. Its architects were disciples of Frank Lloyd Wright and designed the library in Wright’s Prairie style. The same architectural team designed the Chicago Stock Exchange.

African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO)

The African American Museum and Library at Oakland opened in 1902 as the second home of the Oakland Public Library. It became the home of the AAMLO in 2022 and houses more than 160 collections comprised of oral histories, photos, original diaries, and more than 12,000 books by African American authors and about African history, culture, and more.

Now that you know about Carnegie Libraries Across America, check out this mapping tool to find a library near you. Once you’ve visited it, be sure to share your photos, videos, and stories—and check out other contributions!