Architects & Architecture

Architects and Architecture. . , Everett Carnegie Library's design is based on the Pomona Carnegie Library, which was itself based largely on a scaled-down Boston Public Library, designed by the esteemed firm of McKim, Mead and White Architects. built in 1895, the Boston Public Library Building is designed with components of Renaissance Revival and Beaux-Arts, with inspiration taken from French, Italian, and Roman palaces, and university and cathedral buildings. Keeping with the basic design the architect firm of Heide and deNeuf created a scaled-down, one-story-with-basement version, suited for the sloping building site. , The August Heid and Emil deNeuf designed the Everett Carnegie Library. Heide, Puget Sound's most prominent architect at the time, also designed buildings in Snohomish County that included the Mission-style Snohomish County Courthouse, which is on the opposite (southwest) corner of the County Campus from this Carnegie Building, and the Colonial Revival-style home at 1703 Grand Avenue, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. The home was built for a conservative Republican banker, but is most commonly referred to as the former home of Democratic Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson. , Directly off the main entrance, a children's room was the sunniest place in the library. A public reading room, small reference and study room, and a woman's parlor were also on the main floor. The librarian's desk was situated in front of bookshelves that fanned out in a semicircle, allowing the librarian to keep patrons and valuable books in view. The basement included an auditorium and space for book storage. A portion of the original stained glass entry windows is displayed at the downtown Everett Library. , [left] , "It was from my own early experience that I decided there was no use to which money could be applied so productive...as the founding of a public library." , Andrew Carnegie , [right] , New Uses for a Classic Library , After the library moved to its current downtown location in 1934, The Carnegie Building served as a funeral home for 45 years. It then sat vacant for several years in the 1980s. Snohomish County purchased it in 1980, and a renovation, focusing mainly on seismic upgrades, enabled the building to be used for office space. , The current restoration of the Everett Carnegie Library is the first major effort to return the building to its original state. The efforts began in 2014 and were completed in 2018. This renovation was funded in part by a Washington State Historical Society grant. Capital Architects of Everett created the plans, ensuring the remodel serves contemporary Snohomish County needs while accentuating its historical importance.