The Carnegie Library
Side A:
This Carnegie Library was built in 1916 with funds from the Carnegie Corporation. It was constructed and furnished from a Carnegie Corporation grant of $10,000. Pickerington was one of the smallest of the 1,946 communities in the United States to receive a grant from Andrew Carnegie to build a public library. The building was dedicated September 4, 1916, as the Violet Township Public Library.
At that time, Carnegie grants were not available to municipalities of fewer than 1,000 population and required local governing bodies to give their official support to the project. According to the 1910 census, Pickerington was a village of 310 people and Violet Township had a population of approximately 2,000. Thus, with the population requirement met, the Library Board of Trustees, the Pickerington Village Council, and the Violet Township Trustees passed a joint resolution in 1915 pledging financial support for the maintenance of a Carnegie Library.
This site for the building was provided by the Village of Pickerington. E. S. Matheny was the architect, and J. D. Van Gundy was the contractor. The building was constructed of Flemish bond red brick with limestone trim. Its design was typical of many other Carnegie Libraries. Originally the building had gas lighting, gas heat, and running water supplied by a cistern.
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Side B:
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In 1961, the library name was changed to Pickerington Public Library. This building has always been a source of community pride. For over 77 years the building served as Pickerington's public library.
When it became apparent, in the late 1980s, that the Carnegie Library building would not be able to meet the needs of the growing community, a bond issue was passed by residents of the Pickerington Library District to construct and equip a new library building. In April 1993, all library services were transferred to the new library building at 201 Opportunity Way, and this building was closed as a library.
In September 1993, the deed for the Carnegie Library building and land was turned over to the City of Pickerington with the stipulation that the city would lease the building to the Pickerington - Violet Township Historical Society to be used for educational and historical purposes. This building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service of the Department of the Interior on September 2, 1993.
Marker is at the intersection of Columbus Street (Ohio Route 256) and Center Street / Lockville Road, on the right when traveling east on Columbus Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
