You've landed on a web site devoted to the 85 libraries in New England that Andrew Carnegie helped to fund.  Here you can find pages that include old and new photos and brief histories of each library.  No two are exactly alike.  Each site carries a story as unique as its architectural style.  And while the focus here is on the physical structures, we should not forget that a host of local and regional people were involved in each and every endeavor: no matter how small the town, no matter how large the city.

If you don't know much about Mr. Carnegie, click here to read a biography posted by the Carnegie Corporation.  Click here to read of his legacy, including his commitment to libraries and lifelong learning. As of February 1, 2006, New England's original 85 Carnegie library buildings were being used in the following manner:           68 are still libraries            10 have new purposes            4 are vacant            3 are no longer standing

Mr. Carnegie watches over the Athol Public Library patrons

To have lost only three buildings over the course of a century may speak to the power of history in New England.

Only one of those libraries carries the name Carnegie Public Library.  It is located in Turners Falls, Massachusetts.      At least 20 of New England's Carnegie  libraries are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Carnegie Public Library, Turners Falls MA

     To see the libraries represented here, you need only choose one of the search options located along the left-hand side of this screen.  If you want to just cruise through the list without stopping, you should take the VirTual Tour.

     Many thanks go out to the librarians and historians who provided details and photos about the buildings they enter every day.  This project would be incomplete without their help.  All photos and postcards are from the compiler's own collection, unless otherwise credited.

     Happy visiting!