Carnegie Library (McMillan Building)
Perth Designated Heritage Building
Erected by Town of Perth.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Carnegie Libraries series list.
Location. 44° 53.969′ N, 76° 14.922′ W. Marker is in Perth, Ontario, in Lanark County. Marker is at the intersection of Gore Street East (County Highway 43) and Basin Street, on the right when traveling west on Gore Street East. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 77 Gore Street East, Perth ON K7H 1H8, Canada. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. An Avenue to the Future / Un pas vers l'Avenir (a few steps from this marker); The Old Perth Post Office / The Crain Building (a few steps from this marker); The Prince of Wales Prize / Le Prix du Prince de Galles (within shouting distance of this marker); Perth Town Hall / l'Hôtel de Ville de Perth (within shouting distance of this marker); Thomas Wright Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Hub of Activity & Change (within shouting distance of this marker); Boats, Boats, Boats (within shouting distance
this page online
Regarding Carnegie Library (McMillan Building). Built in 1907 with the financial assistance of U.S. steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, the Perth library was designed in the Beaux Arts fashion by Darling & Pearson of Toronto, and is similar to their design for the Bank of Montreal at Front and Yonge Streets. Note the corner door flanked by two pediments and topped by a high closed balustrade, the combination of colours and textures in the bricks, sandstone and wood, and details such as terra cotta Ionic capitals and oak leaves carved on brackets.
A self-made man born in Scotland to a family of modest means, Carnegie sold his steel company in 1901 while still in this thirties to dedicate his life to philanthropic works, especially those devoted to education. He believed the best way to provide free education and to foster growing communities was through the establishment of public libraries. In so doing, Carnegie believed he could provide the public with the tools necessary to succeed, regardless of their socio-economic background. In his lifetime, Andrew Carnegie gave away 90%
In order to receive a Carnegie grant, typically $10,000, a community had to show tangible community support. In 1906, the Perth Scientific and Literary Society was formed with the purposes of creating secure funding and building a permanent structure for a library. However, a lending library had been present in Perth, albeit briefly, as early as 1832. A Mechanics Institute was begun in 1844, which subscribed to many influential dailies, journals and magazines, and it joined with the public library started by the Reverend William Bell in 1847 to create a public reading room which, from 1889 to 1900, was located in the Kellock Building. Of much greater regard was John Hart’s bookstore (1850–1925) also on Gore Street, which was considered “the finest bookstore in the country outside Toronto and Montreal.”
In 1980, the Perth library was gutted by fire, which destroyed the book collection and the building’s interior. The library board opted to build a new structure on Herriott Street, and local contractor Gordon McMillan subsequently purchased the standing shell, restoring the exterior and redesigning the interior for commercial space. (from the Lanark County Tourism website)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 13, 2022. It was originally submitted on October 13, 2022, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 70 times since then and 4 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 13, 2022, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
