Near Eastside in Indianapolis in Marion County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Indianapolis Public Library Branch No. 3
East Washington Branch Library
| | 1911 | |
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, August 6, 2023
1. Indianapolis Public Library Branch No. 3 Marker
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Charity & Public Work • Education. In addition, it is included in the Carnegie Libraries, and the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1911.
Location. 39° 46.118′ N, 86° 6.95′ W. Marker is in Indianapolis, Indiana, in Marion County. It is in Near Eastside. It is on East Washington Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2822 E Washington St, Indianapolis IN 46201, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Indiana. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Willard Park (approx. 0.7 miles away); Woodruff Place (approx. 0.9 miles away); Former U.S. Arsenal (approx. one mile away); Indianapolis Public Library Branch No. 6 (approx. 1.3 miles away); Crossing of the National and Michigan Roads (approx. 1.3 miles away); Mass. Ave. and Chatham Arch (approx. 1.6 miles away); William P. Jungclaus Co. (approx. 1.6 miles away); John Leslie Wes Montgomery (approx. 1.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Indianapolis.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Willard Park (was approx. 0.7 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Regarding Indianapolis Public Library Branch No. 3. Excerpts from the National Register nomination:
In 1909, [Andrew] Carnegie gave the City of Indianapolis $120,000 to be used towards the construction of six branch libraries. Although only five were built, the grant more than doubled the number of libraries in Indianapolis at the time. Construction of the first library, IndianapolisPublic Library Branch No. 3, began the same year. It was dedicated on November 14, 1911. The last to be dedicated was the Madison Avenue Branch on April 26, 1912.Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, August 6, 20232. Indianapolis Public Library Branch No. 3 Marker
Indianapolis Public Library Branch No. 3 (currently known as the East Washington Branch) was designed in the Tudor Revival style by Foltz and Parker, a prominent architectural firm comprised of Herbert Foltz and Wilson B. Parker.
At the turn of the 20th century, Indianapolis library system was inadequate for a city of its size. The grant from the Carnegie foundation provided the needed funds to make the system accessible to a greater portion of the population by adding new branches and permanent buildings for existing branches. Construction of the East Washington Branch and the Hawthorne Branch were pursued simultaneously. East Washington was the first of the Indianapolis Carnegies; library officials dedicated East Washington four days before Hawthorne in November, 1911. Spades Park was a new branch location, as were the Hawthorne and East Washington structures. The West Indianapolis and Madison Avenue Buildings replaced original branch locations in their vicinities. Only three of the original Carnegie structures are still extant, with the Spades Park and East Washington branches remaining in public library use. The Hawthorne branch houses a community center. The Madison Avenue branch was lost to Interstate 70 construction in the early 1970s, and the West Indianapolis was demolished in August, 1994.
Also see . . . Indianapolis Public Library Branch No. 3 (PDF). National Register nomination for the library building. (National Park Service) (Submitted on August 28, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 28, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 27, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 248 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 27, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
