Tallahassee in Leon County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Carnegie Library at Florida A&M University
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, October 4, 2022
1. Carnegie Library at Florida A&M University Marker
Inscription.
Carnegie Library at Florida A&M University. . Built in 1908 with funds donated by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, this was the first Carnegie Library built on a Black Land-Grant college campus. Nathan Young, President of the State Normal College for Colored Students, with cooperation from the school’s alumni association, obtained a $10,000 donation from Carnegie to construct the library. A 1905 fire had destroyed Duval Hall, the college’s main academic building and original library. Carnegie Library, stocked with donations from alumni, was the first brick veneer building on this campus at the former location of Highwood Plantation. It was also the first building with indoor plumbing and electricity. During the 1950s and 1960s, the library served as an art gallery and education facility. In 1970, it became a religious center. In 1976, Florida A&M University President Benjamin Perry, Jr., designated it as the home of the Black Archives Research Center and Museum. In 1978, under the museum’s founding director, Dr. James N. Eaton, Sr., the library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2006, an addition to Carnegie Library was named in honor of Dr. Eaton and U.S. Representative Carrie Meek.
Built in 1908 with funds donated by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, this was the first Carnegie Library built on a Black Land-Grant college campus. Nathan Young, President of the State Normal College for Colored Students, with cooperation from the school’s alumni association, obtained a $10,000 donation from Carnegie to construct the library. A 1905 fire had destroyed Duval Hall, the college’s main academic building and original library. Carnegie Library, stocked with donations from alumni, was the first brick veneer building on this campus at the former location of Highwood Plantation. It was also the first building with indoor plumbing and electricity. During the 1950s and 1960s, the library served as an art gallery and education facility. In 1970, it became a religious center. In 1976, Florida A&M University President Benjamin Perry, Jr., designated it as the home of the Black Archives Research Center and Museum. In 1978, under the museum’s founding director, Dr. James N. Eaton, Sr., the library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2006, an addition to Carnegie Library was named in honor of Dr. Eaton and U.S. Representative Carrie Meek.
Erected 2014 by Florida A&M University, The Meek-Eaton Black Archives Research Center and Museum. (Marker Number
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F-833.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. In addition, it is included in the Carnegie Libraries series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1908.
Location. 30° 25.645′ N, 84° 17.199′ W. Marker is in Tallahassee, Florida, in Leon County. Marker can be reached from South Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard just south of Gamble Street. Marker is located in the courtyard of the library. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1513 South Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, Tallahassee FL 32307, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 9, 2022. It was originally submitted on October 9, 2022, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 239 times since then and 42 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on October 9, 2022, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.
