Former Carnegie Library

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 1, 2021

1. Former Carnegie Library Marker

Touch for directions.

Panhandle.

Midwest,

Belt,

prairies.

America,

Hemisphere,

Click or scan to see
this page online

World,

Anglosphere.

Purchase.

From the National Register Nomination prepared by Penelope Chatfield, 4/1981:
The first library in Scottsbluff was the Laura M. Woodford Club organized by local women. The success of the privately-owned library encouraged the City Council to establish a city-funded library in 1916. The new Library Board requested a construction grant from

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 1, 2021

2. Former Carnegie Library Marker

The marker is mounted at 1st-floor level on the left side of the northwest corner entrance.

the Carnegie Corporation the same year. After the city met the required conditions, the Carnegie Corporation authorized a grant of $12,500 on June 6, 1917 — the second to the last city in Nebraska to be awarded a Carnegie grant. After the entry of the United States into the First World War, it was decided to postpone construction until the end of the war.
The library is a one-story-over-raised basement, brick, rectangular building. The original 1922 building is the 40 x 28-foot section on the western end, designed by Robert A. Bradley of Hastings in the Classical Revival architectural style. The original entrance is located on the west with two round-arched, double-hung, multi-paned windows, and double-leaf doors surmounted by a transom and fanlight. The roof is flat, and a parapet with entablature rises above the walls. The basement is separated by a stone water table, and the brick is laid in bands.
The 62-foot addition, built in 1936 by the W.P.A., was designed by architect Otto John Hehnke of Scottsbluff. The addition maintains the original material, parapet, cornice, basement, and window lines. The windows are paired but are otherwise

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 1, 2021

3. Former Scottsbluff Carnegie Library
(northwest elevation)

similar to the originals. The new entrance on the north is more prominent than the original, with paired pilasters and pediment.
The building housed the public library until 1966. Since that time the West Nebraska Arts Center has occupied the building.
The Scottsbluff Public Library is significant as one of the few remaining buildings with unique architectural features from the early period of Scottsbluff's growth. Architecturally it is one of a minority of Carnegie libraries in Nebraska erected with an off-center entrance. The building reflects the fast growth of Scottsbluff: the city expanded enough from the time of the Carnegie Corporation's initial approval in 1917 until construction began in 1921 to warrant a larger structure. More space was needed within a few years of construction, and the Works Progress Administration funded a large addition to the building in 1936. In most parts of the country, a building constructed in 1921 would not be a product of the early period of a city's development; however, in Scottsbluff this is the case. Scotts Bluff County is in the most western tier of counties in Nebraska, and the city of Scottsbluff

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 1, 2021

4. Former Scottsbluff Carnegie Library
(southwest elevation)

is one of the youngest cities in the state.

Excerpt:  Scottsbluff Public Library was originally announced in 1914 and was developed by the Woman's Club of Scottsbluff. While the city had attempted to secure a library years prior, it wasn't until 1914 that Andrew Carnegie announced that he would financially support the construction of one. Development endured several delays before a site was chosen in 1920. The building was completed in 1922, following two years of construction.
Due to the library's small size, a new library was announced in 1965. Also done in attempt to make Scottsbluff a major regional library provider, the new library was more than double the size of the previous. The new library officially opened on September 17, 1966. The previous library closed and was converted into the West Nebraska Arts Center in 1969. It was later listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 3, 1981.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 1, 2021

5. Former Scottsbluff Carnegie Library (northwest elevation)

The 62-foot-wide 1936 east-end addition funded by the Works Progress Administration is on the left. It architecturally blends with the original 1922 building on the right. The original northwest corner entrance became secondary upon completion of the 1936 W.P.A. addition with its larger, more elaborate, street-level entrance on the north side of the building.

Excerpt:  Scottsbluff’s historic former Carnegie Library — now the West Nebraska Arts Center — received an addition constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1936. The 62-foot addition, built in 1936 by the W.P.A., was designed by architect O. J. Hehnke of Scottsbluff. The addition maintains the original material, parapet, cornice, basement, and window lines. The addition projected from the east end of the building.