hough nev€r a resident of the $tate, Andrew Carnegie gready influenced

rhc advancement of literacy in Michigan when his philanthropy

enabled ehe construction of more than 60 public libraries here.

Inside the -Woodward Avenue entry of the Detroit PublicLibrary main branch is an important and often-missed

inscription. Etched in the marble of the hallway's nonhwall are these words:

"In memory of Andrew Carnegie whose generous and

timely aid hastened the completion of this building and

enlarged the scope and function of the iibrary."

When visiting the statet public buildings, Michiganiansare more accustomed to seeing names from theirautomotive past-Ford, Dodge, and Fisher-and t'ithgood reason. Beginning in the 1920s, the state's automotive

elite developed a well-knownreputation for altruism.

The name ofAndrerv Carnegie,

by contrast, connotes an eYen

earlier era-thar of the GildedAge. The unexpected sight ofrhe steel magnates name gives

a clue to what was one of the

most proli fi c philanrh ropic

efforts ever undertaken inAmerica.

From 1883 until1920, Carnegie

underwrotethe cosr of

buildinghundreds

of

public libraries across the United States (and in some

other countries). Grants were provided to small ro\\'nsJ

large cities, and some of the earliest suburban areas. Intotal, the program endowed the construction of 1.688

buildings throughout the U.S., serving a rotal of 1,419

communities. Michigan-with 61 of these edifices-was a

sizable beneficiary of Carnegie's generosin-. Of these, 50 stillstand and 26 still function as libraries. Their reach extends

to all corners of the state, from Detroit in rhe southeast to

Ironwood in the northwest.

Amazingly, Carnegie's librarv program (u'hich never

had an official title) represenred onlr'a fraction of his totalphilanthropic efforts. Additionailrt he established and

endowed more than 20 institutions dedicated mostly toeducation, including Carnegie Mellon University in

Pittsburgh, the Carnegie Institution for Science in

'Washington, D.C., and others which do not bear his

Previous poge: Soult Ste. Morie's Cornegie librory now

houses the Eostern Upper Peninsulo lntermediote School

District. Courtesy of R;ck Moyer. Above: The originol

orchiteci for the Howell librory, Eliioh Myers, olso designed

the stote copitol. Courtesy of the Howell Cornegie District

Librory. Left: Andrew Cornegie focused his philonthropy on

librories, educotion, scientific reseorch, ond world peoce.

Courtesy of the Librory of Congress. Opposiie poge: A note

from Cornegie's wife resides in Howell's orchives.

lf:::!lnegie. arrived. in_America at the age of11 .-Tl:,"fer William, a skiiled aUrt. *."*.?.*Oi::}::Ij:m Dunrermr,"., s.*r""J," o[rn*r,Pennsylvania in 1B4g as a severe depression,.;?;"tl

ke. fespite " r"Jir r".-"ii.r.,ootirg,

the younger Carnegiet inrellectuaj

name, including the famous peace palace in The Hague.This,was all in keeping wirh. Carnegt"lpi,i"_pfry oFhowa well-purposed liFe should b. li".;r;dio,l ,uro,r, wealrhshould be dispersed.

factors to begin his ribrary program in r gg3. It was at thartime that the concepts oruni,rJ.r"i .;;.;" and access toinformation began io.take hold t" A;;;.;. This growingsocial trend dovetailed perfectiy *,th a;;;.gie,s way ofthinking. As the 20th century dawned, kroirl"dg. *",becoming democratized.Yet the modern cor

very much a work," ;..#:::ff:*J:triJil,l,jl1, "rCarnegie granrs were

1lr.".o_p"rrf r"** i^r.gheny and

fi:'a:".fi,'J:#::in rdse il t;;, respectiverv

unheard.r,"r,i.".,..".'#::;1'fli:ffii.1:il;:,"*pools, art galleries, and billiard fr"ffr. n.l"icilities, whichcould accuratety be cailed comm;;il;;;; rather thansimply libraries, reflecred Carnegiesie;;;" of.what the

:;::ilj:t::f an emproye,,hoid #, ;;-"';. not onryirays

nrs emproyees-wages. bur who also enriches rheir livesrn rhe grearer communiryCarnegie handled many of the details of these eariyprojects personalry. Beginning in iB9B, to*.*r' ,t

"

curiosity proved insariable, due at leastin part to being exposed ,o *ork, ofgreat literature ar an earl1, age. \rhileCarnegie worked a series of"odd jobsas a,teenager. J manager rvho owned amodesr personal iibran aljowed himaccess ro his bookr. Thtook futl

"d,.;;;;. ;'.":"d-#;,"and used ir ro der.elop ,h. blrirr.r,

r )

,.1-:n rhar made ir porsible to buildan rndusrrial cmpir. in rhesteel br-rsiness and amass afortune so \-asr 1]131-11,hsnhe retired in 1901_his netu.orrh u'as esrimared ar $225million. or abour S6 billion

.;

yet, for "il

hi, ,u..t-orL"l".rr.g,. retused ro bebeholden to his riches. He belii ed pr_o"r,.tuthat wealth should not be ,qur'ra.r.'a L,person who gathered it, but be reinvesred into thecommunity to aid the public good. In his fimousessay "\7ealth,,, he wrore:

"First, to ser an example of modesr,unosrenrarious living, shunning displar_ orexrravagance: co provide moderarely flor rh.regrnmate wants oI chose dependenr uponhim; and after doing so ro consider all surplusrevenues which come to him simply as rrusrfunds, which he is called

"p"" ,"?_r,l,rr""and strictly bound as a marrer of dury roadminister in the manner which, in hisjudgment, is best calculated to pr"a".. the mostbeneficiai result for ,h. .o--,rlrriry-.,i. _"" .,wealth thus becoming the mere

"g"lr, "rri'r.'rr,..for his poorer b..th."-n, bringing i"li""l.*,* f.,,superior wisdom, experign6s, arid abiliry to administer,doing for them better than they;;;i;';;."rld do forthemselves."

Carnegiet reverence for knowledge, coupled with hispersonal philosophy of wealth, pr;j.J Ji;"moti,,"ting

ryryW,

5::1:T:g:owing popularity forced him to detegate

uay-ro-day responsibilities to his personal secreraryJames Bertram. Berrram.adminircered ,tr. Orogrr. 'i"accordance with Carnegies simple b", ;;;;qrireme nr..Each communiry was Jhg.,i ,i p-",a. ,fr.l.,,ra,rr*site, and to earmark an-amounr equal to l0 percent of rhegrant annually for the facilitys op.."tior,

"rrj upk..p i,

tE.

tEi

iFt

perpetuiry. The costs of the library's holdings, equipment,and furniture were also a local responsibility.

Architectural styles of the early Carnegie libraries varied

considerably and included Tudor Revival, Richardsonian

Romanesque, and even Prairie School examples. Often,these buildings incorporated sumptuous details, such as

thick marble columns, domed cupolas, and impressive

porticoes. Carnegie and Bertram frowned on these excesses,

insisting that the dollars be spent practically, in order toprovide the maximum amount of shelf space. Eventually,

Bertram insisted upon approving all building plans and,

by 1910, most grants were dedicated to constructing the

recognizable "Carnegie Classical." This design, with Greek

Revival features, symbolized a reverence for knowledge

often associated with the ancient world.Bertram used a formula of $2 to $3 per resident in

determiningthe amountof each

gfant. overtime, specific

situations(for example,

dealing withlocal mayors orlibrary boards

that had little6nancial

expertise)

required more

complex

policies and

procedures.

Crants

typicallyranged from$5,ooo to

$ 15,000.

Ifan initialgrant provedinsufHcient

due to cost overruns, local leaders could apply forsupplementary amounts which were sometimes accepted.

Such was the case with at least one Michigan communiry.\W4ren Howell's grant of $10,000 fell short of funding the

complete project, Bertram approved an additional $5,000necessary to finish.

The Howell library still serwes residents of the Livingston

County community today. A 1990s restoration and

expansion project included a 22,000-square-foot additionarchitecturally sympathetic to the original structure. Also

involved was the removal of a drop ceiling installed during

24 | mrcrrcAN HrsToRY

the 1960s, which hid the iibraryt distinctive cupola.In the library's archive are correspondences with Bertram

(which document the firing of the original architect andcontractor in a dispute over costs) and a 1919 personal notefrom Carnegie's wife Louise to Miss \fl Winifred Brown,the librarian at the time.

Petoskey is another place where Carnegie's legacy lives.

In 1909, the city dedicated its new library. A larger, moremodern facility was opened in 2004 across Mitchell Street,

but the original structure is still used as meeting space.

Petoskey also benefited from a double dose ofphilanthropy. In 1908, LeliaJohnson, a prominenrlocal citizen who was aware of the Carnegie programrequirement that local communities supply the buildingsite, purchased the Mitchell Street site in memory of her

deceased husband. Just rwo weeks later, Carnegie gave final

approval of $12,500 for the building. The cin'subsequentlydecided to raise an additional $5,OOo through raxes toallow for a more elaborate structure.

A story attributed to the Petoskel. library states thatErnest Hemingway gave a series of lectures there in 1925,

recounting his experiences during \7or1d War I. Thoughno ephemera confirming the event is known to exist, the

Hemingway Sociery of Michigan is convinced of the storfstruthfuiness.

Another Carnegie library with a connection to a famous

writer is located in Lapeer. This Georgian Revival structure

ItI:lI',It*IHIAig

a

ffi

Hefr

;H

iffitats

;ffiifg

Cornegie opproved o sizoble gift to the Detroit Librory Commission, which finonced the construction of nine bronches including

the moin one on Woodword Avenue. Courtesy of Robert Yonol.

i

The Petoskey librory-now o meeting ond events spoce-is soid to hove hosied o series oflectures by Ernest Hemingwoy. Courtesy of Cory Pompolone.

was complered in 1921 and known as the Lapeer publicLibrary unril 198 1 , when it was renamed in honor ofMarguerite deAngeli: the acclaimed children's authoriillustrator and Lapeer native. The library is the custodianof an archive of materials on deAngeli, including originalartwork, manuscripts, galley prints, and the NewberyMedal deAngeli won in 1950 for her work, "The Door inthe Wali."

Among the stare's larger cities, Derroit benefited the mostfrom Carnegie's largesse, rhough not without considerabiedebate. Negotiations benveen rhe Detroit L16raryCommission and Carnegie began in 1903 and dragged onnearly a decade. Most everyone in the ciry agreed that theexisting library, located downto*'n on the site of todaysSkillman Branch, was ta-xed beyond capaciw. In 1907, TheDetroit News ran an editorial that echoed this need whilereflecting deep civic pride:

"\fith nearly a quarter of a million books packed withina space intended for only 40,000 and with sanitaryconditions which are frankly condemned, Detroit'spublic library has now reached a point where...eitherAndrew Carnegie's offer to the city should be accepted,or the city itself shouid issue bonds ro the extent of$45O,OOO for the erecrion of a new building... . At thepresenr time, Detroit leads every orher ciry of its size inAmerica as a library ciry."

The sticking poinr berween the parties was over rhedesign of the new building. Local officials envisionedan opulent faciliry featuring a marble exrerior and widehallways, in keeping with the City Beautiful movemenrpopular at the dme. This collided head-on with Carnegieand Bertram's more restrained vision for building designs.

In 1910, the Carnegie libraryprogram pledged $750,000 to theDetroit Library Commission, with halfbeing intended for a new main libraryand the balance for neighborhoodbranches. If the city desired a

more elaborate building, Bertramcommunicated, it would have to makeup the additionalfunds itself Detroitvoters passed a bond issue ro do justthat, and ground was finally broken.Then, another snag deveioped. Alittle-noticed clause in the paperworkrequired that any locaily raised fundsbe spent first, prior to the release ofgrant monies. Since the bonds had beenapproved but not yet sold, this provedimpossible. Construction ground to a

halt, leaving the buildingt skeleton tostand dormant for about 10 months.

After work resumed, World.War I began and furtherdelayed the project, postponing the dedication unril 1921.Tlue to its original inrentions, however, Detroit did raisethe funds for the more elaborate facility. The result is theelegant Italian Renaissance Revival srructure that still standstoday.

The process of erecting the branches went much moresmoothly. The remaining$375,000 of Carnegie's moneywas earmarked to build eight satellite libraries throughoutthe ciry predominantly on the west side. Some were larerreplaced with more modern facilities, but three still survive:the Bowen, Conely, and Duffield branches.

Standing in stark conrrasr to Detroit's grandiosiry is thestory of Ironwood, which initiated Michigan's involvemenrin the program in 1900 when it became the first in the stateto receive a Carnegie grant. The modest Ironwood facltiq,has survived for more than 100 years wirh no additionsand very little renovation, and still it manags5-a5 i15

mission statement promises-1o provide "equitable accessto materials and services that support the educational,informational, cultural, and recreational needs of the entirecommuniry."

Today, despite the widespread availability of the Internetand other means of accessing information, Carnegielibraries remain a cornerstone institution in communitiesacross the srate and the country. Itt easy to imagine this isexacdy what Andrew Carnegie envisioned.

Paul Vacbon is a Detroit-baseclfeelance writer whoseinterests include 2 1th-centur! h istory, emerging ind.ustries,and education. He is a member of the American Society ofJo u rn a lists a nd A u tho rs.

MAY/1uNE 2atz ) 25