Carnegie Visual Arts Center

About:

Completed in September of 1904, the Carnegie Library of Decatur was one of the 2,509 libraries built by the millionaire philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. At the turn of the century, Carnegie began donating money to non-profit, educational organizations. Starting with a large library system in Pittsburgh, with a donation of $1 million, Carnegie began to fund libraries throughout the nation.

Decatur’s Carnegie Library is an example of one of the classic Carnegie buildings. Originally about 3,500 square feet and costing $8,500, the building served as Decatur’s library from 1904 till 1973.

The Carnegie Library was constructed in 1904 with funding from the Carnegie Foundation. For nearly 70 years, Decatur’s public library was housed in this facility. When the main library outgrew the facility the Carnegie became the children’s library.