A Carnegie Jewel - Lincoln, Illinois Public Library

   Abraham Lincoln would have loved the Lincoln Library. Unfortunately it was built in 1902, about 30 some years too late.  The city was settled in about 1850.  Abraham Lincoln helped to plat the city layout. (You did know that Lincoln had taught himself surveying and earned a living as a surveyor...of course you did!)
      In May (2011) I spent a week Checking out the new Lincoln Museum and Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield.  On one of the drives around the area I stopped in Lincoln, Illinois about 30 miles north of Springfield. (On old route 66!) When I found the library it was obviously a jewel.

       

       The picture above is looking straight up at the skylight over the main desk just inside the entrance to the library.  What a marvelous piece of functional artwork to be found in a small town in Central Illinois. 

    This somewhat distorted perspective shows the columns, the name of the library and the classic roof lines over the entrance.         

Here is a picture of the library sign with the library in the background.  I am not the only person who thinks this small town Carnegie library is special. In 1980 it was added to the national register. 

    Most people are not aware of the tremendous impact on this country that Carnegie libraries have had. Take a few minutes and go to some of the Carnegie links I have listed here. 


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnegie_library  This site shows 8 pictures of Carnegie Libraries with comments.


http://www.answers.com/topic/andrew-carnegie
      This site is a lengthy biography of Carnegie, well worth reading. Especially interesting is the section "Controversies".  In brief it relates seldom heard details of the Johnstown Flood.  Cambria Iron and Steel Company was the worlds largest steel producer and was located in Johnstown. Andrew Carnegie  was a member of the South Fork Hunting and Fishing club which owned property where there was a large dam 20 miles upstream from Johnstown..  Several conditions (including poor maintenace) combined in May of 1889 which caused the dam to burst creating the Johnstown flood and put Cambria out of business for a a year and a half. During that time Carnegie's steel company became the largest producer of steel.  There is still a Carnegie Library building there. It was built by Carnegie to replace the library that Cambria had funded and which was destroyed in the flood.   
     You will find some very interesting statistics. During his life time Andrew Carnegie gave away over 330 million dollars (about 50 million for libraries). We get so used to big numbers they lose their meaning. So let me help you grasp just how much money Andrew Carnegie poured into libraries around the world. 
     If you gave away $10,000 dollars every day for 13 years you would still have 2 and a half  million left of the 50 million. 
     OK enough history. Back to the Lincoln Library.

 This round desk serves as the working center of the library. Located directly below the skylight shown earlier it greets you as you enter the front doors. Notice the floor detail, the raised panels on the desk front and the ornate ends on the shelves behind the desk. 


Above the desk we can see some of the detailed wood work found throughout the library. Looking at it brings to mind an earlier time when craftsmanship and attention to detail was much more common then today's high tech pre-fabricated world.   

Here in another view of the main desk we also see the attention to detail in the floor. The rectangular section in the lower left is the front entrance of the library.  Even the wood covered columns are given the same attention as the rest of the woodwork. 

    If you turn to the left from the front entrance you will be standing directly under the large ornate sky light.  Here the shape and size of the woodwork around the skylight is replicated over the reading area. To the right of this area is another area with more of this lovely wood molding.  Look closely at the bottom left corner of this picture behind the green lamp shades. There you see the inset paneled wall covering.  The grandfather clock is almost lost in this display of woodworking. 

Here we see one of the many pieces of Mission Furniture that adds to the charm of this jewel of a library. Again notice the paneled wall covering and the base of the grandfather clock. 








I hope you have enjoyed this short visit to the Lincoln Library in Lincoln, IL. The staff happily provided me with a souvenir library card.  
    My main regret was I did not have time to grab a book, plop in a chair and enjoy this library for a days or so. But hopefully you can if you are ever in Central Illinois. 
     Thanks again for viewing my library blog. Comments are appreciated.  Send any to davidwiseley@gmail.com