Thief River Falls in Pennington County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Carnegie Library
1914
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 29, 2022
1. Carnegie Library Marker
has been placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Charity & Public Work • Education • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Carnegie Libraries series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1914.
Location. 48° 7.035′ N, 96° 10.88′ W. Marker is in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, in Pennington County. Marker is on Main Avenue North (State Highway 32) just north of 1st Street East (County Highway 17), on the right when traveling north. Marker is mounted at waist-level, directly on the subject building, on the right/south side of the front staircase. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 102 Main Avenue North, Thief River Falls MN 56701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
More about this marker. National Register of Historic Places #83003763. Today this building houses the Thief River Falls Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center. The current Thief River Falls Public Library is located one block south.
Also see . . .
1. Thief River Falls Public Library History.
In 1900, a few civic leaders decided(Submitted on September 16, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)that a book collection was needed for everyone to use. Money was raised for a small collection of books which were then housed in the first library, a storefront on 2nd Street, which was provided rent-free. In the spring of 1902, a small one-story annex was built for the library on the north side of the old City Fire Hall at the corner of First Street and Main Avenue. A Mr. L.G. Browning was hired as the first librarian that year, at the salary of $14 a month. In 1906, the library became an official separate department of the City of Thief River Falls. When the city moved to its current location, the library also moved and was located in a large room in the basement. As the library grew, it was evident it needed more space. In 1914, the Carnegie Library was built in Thief River Falls and dedicated on May 12, 1915.
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2. Historic Carnegie Library Restoration.
Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, believing in real and permanent good, offered the City of Thief River Falls the sum of $12,500 to build a public library. The City met Mr. Carnegie’s requirements by matching this with $4,848 in local funding and built the stately Carnegie Library Building that still stands at the corner of Main Avenue and 1st Street.(Submitted on September 16, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)The
final phase of restoration of the Historic Carnegie Library is now complete. The City awarded a $772,190 contract to provide handicapped accessibility through the construction of an elevator, renovate the entire upper and lower level interiors, and complete upgrades to the mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems.Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 29, 20222. Carnegie Library Marker(Marker is mounted on the right/south side of the front staircase.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 29, 2022
3. Thief River Falls Carnegie Library (northwest elevation)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 29, 2022
4. Thief River Falls Carnegie Library (southwest elevation)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 29, 2022
5. Thief River Falls Carnegie Library (west/front elevation)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 16, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 16, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 211 times since then and 72 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on September 16, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
