Newman Historical Society Celebrates the 100

Year Anniversary of the Carnegie Library Building

Sunday, September 3rd 2023 at 12:45pm Newman Museum (1209 Main Street)

During this year’s 52nd Fall Festival, the Newman Historical Society celebrated the previously postponed٭ anniversary of the Newman Carnegie Library building (now the “Newman Museum” at 1209 Main Street).   A small ceremony was held on Sunday, September 3rd at 12:45pm at the Museum to commemorate the occasion.   ٭Postponed earlier due to the 2020-2022 Covid pandemic.

Background

In 1909, seeking to provide a permanent home for a city library, the Women’s Improvement Club of Newman donated land at the corner of Kern & Main Streets with the hope that they would be able to successfully petition the Andrew Carnegie Corporation for funds to construct a library building on the property.

Success was met, The Carnegie Corporation did indeed provide a generous grant of $7,600.00 for the building which was erected in 1919 for a 1920 grand opening.  The building served as a library until 1978 when a newer larger library was built to replace it (the Carnegie building thereafter became the Newman Museum).

In the summer of 2023, Mr. Alan Carnegie, a relative of American Industrialist Andrew Carnegie, corresponded with the Newman Historical Society congratulating the City on its celebration (Alan Carnegie and his family, wife Jill Carnegie, and son Joseph Carnegie, were all made honorary Historical Society members to commemorate the building’s connection to their philanthropic family).

Mary Vaz Moore

Below you will find a collection of images from the Museum's archives - Click on the thumbnail pictures to enlarge to full size

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