St Albans library

Brief description

Built in 1911, (foundation stone has the date October 1910) the building was designed by local architect F Guilford W Dudley, after a competition. It followed the typical Carnegie formula of a grand entrance accessed by a flight of steps. It is locally listed. The builder was Mr OP Drover of Kettering.

It continued to house the City’s public library until replaced in the 1980s by a new one in the Maltings development on the opposite side of Victoria Street. The library closed on 18 April 1988, and was sold. It is now an O’Neills Bar. You can still see the stained glass window which includes Andrew Carnegie holding the building in his hands.

Current status: Bar/restaurant (2018)

• Year grant given (if known): Approach made in August 1909.
• Amount of grant: £3,000. Building eventually cost £4,290. Carnegie was approached again in 1912, and he contributed a further £597 (see Talking Buildings report linked below)
• Year opened (and by who – if known): 10 October 1911, by Andrew Carnegie

Photo of library today (2011):

Photo credit:  Ian Capper and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Details:

Old photo of library (postcard):

Nothing in my collection yet

Visited?

Not yet

Web links:

• Note – Carnegie was presented with the freedom of St Albans in 1911 (see film held by the BFI)
• St Albans museums ‘Talking Buildings’ project: The Carnegie library, the philanthropist and firkin, and O’Neills

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Royton library

Brief description

Architects were Butterworth and Duncan.

Current status: Still open as a public library, run by Oldham council although not for much longer. See article below – services to be moved to the Town Hall and the building could be sold off.  (2018)

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant:
• Year opened (and by who – if known): 1907

Photo of library today (2007):

Royton Library cc-by-sa/2.0 – © Stanley Walker – geograph.org.uk/p/500873

Details:

Old photo of library (postcard):

Nothing in my collection yet

Visited?

Not yet

Web links:

• News article: Iconic Royton library will be closed after 100 years (2018)

 

Boscombe library

Brief description

Library was designed by borough architect Charles Thomas Miles.

Current status: Demolished in 1965, after the library moved to a new home.

• • Year grant given (if known):
  • Amount of grant: Total of £10,000 to build 4 libraries: Westbourne, Springbourne, Winton and Boscombe. Boscombe was allocated £4,000
  • Year opened (and by who – if known): 22 June 1910, by Mayor G E Bridge

Old photo of library (postcard):

Nothing in my collection yet, but this image was shared (under cc licence) by Alwyn Ladell

Web links:

Whitehaven library

Brief description

Architects were Greig, Fairbairn and Macniven. The library was extended in 1970.

Current status: Still open as a public library, run by Cumbria council (2018) [at least I think so – a new building has been built in front, but this appears joined. Stobbarts (building contractors) published a news item in 2017 stating they had won the contract to carry out repair work on the victorian ceiling.] However, an article written in April 2018 indicates the council has decided to move the library into the nearby archives building, and sell the Carnegie library.

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant:
• Year opened (and by who – if known): 13 October 1906

Photo of library today (2011):

© Copyright Dave Bevis and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Details:

Old photo of library (postcard):

Nothing in my collection yet

Visited?

Not yet

Web links:

• Photograph of the opening of “New Carnegie free public library, Whitehaven” is held by the National Archives
• Webpage: Catherine Street, Whitehaven
• News article: Town centre library to close and move into nearby archive centre (April 2018)

 

Eastleigh library

Brief description

The architect was FG Lee. Grant given by Carnegie UK Trust. The library was extended in 1964.

Current status: Now a family centre (according to Gazetteer of Historic Public Library buildings)

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant:
• Year opened (and by who – if known): 1935

Photo of library today:

Old photo of library (postcard):

Nothing in my collection yet

 

Colne library

Brief description

Originally built as a private house for wealthy cotton mill owner, Nicholas England.

In 1907 it was converted to become the Colne Carnegie library and a date stone of 1907 was placed above the main entrance.  Closed as a library in 1972, and the building was taken over by the Providence Independent Methodist church. They moved out in 2012, and the building was sold. Proposal put forward in 2015 to convert it into flats (and advert seen on Right Move website, 2018).

Current status: Residential

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant:
• Year opened (and by who – if known): 1907

Photo of building today (2009):

cc-by-sa/2.0 – © John Tomlinson – geograph.org.uk/p/40433

Old photos of library (postcards):

And showing the war memorial in front:

 

Web links:

• Entry on the waymarking site
• Article in Colne Life: All change at Providence

Cleator Moor library

Brief description

Architect was EM Martindale, of Workington and Cleator Moor. Building work started in April 1905 and was completed in July 1906. The library was extended in 1966.

Awarded Grade II listing in 1973

Current status: Still open as a public library, run by Cumbria council (2018)

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant: £3,500
• Year opened (and by who – if known): Wednesday 7 November 1906, by Mr AE Lamb, chairman of the district council

Photo of library today:

Details:

Old photo of library (postcard):

Visited?

Not yet

Web links:

• Entry on the listed buildings register
• Library website
• Blog post: Cleator Moor Carnegie library