Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-21
PLACED IN THE PARK.
Forbes Street Entrance Defin-
itely Settled Upon as
the Site for the
MAIN LIBRARY BUILDING.
Carnegie's MilliOu-DOllar Gift Dr.
vided, 100000 Going to
Schenley Park and
THE REMAINDER TO THE DISTRICTS
Prizes of $4,000 offered to Architects
Who Will Prepare Suitable Plans
ior the Structures.
REPORT OF THE BUILDING COMMITTEE.
Tbs Members Decide That They Cannot Afford to
Psy he High Prices Asked for Land
N the Hssrt Of the City.
THE REMAINDER TO THE DISTRICTS
REPORT OF THE BUILDING COMMITTEE.
Tbs Members Decide That They Cannot Afford tt
Pay The High Prices Asked for Land
N the Heart Of the City.
SKETCHES OF REPRESENTATIVE LIBRARIES

The Central Carnegie Library building
will occupy the Schenley Park entrance
Definite action was taken yesterday on thi
question and it was finally settled. Th
Building Committee yesterday gave its re
port to the Library Commission. The re
port, as published in full below, is length,
one, and contains the result of the commit
tees investigations. Tue first question con
sidered was the location of the Central Lii
brary at the Schenley Park entrance. Care
ful inquiry developed the fact that down
town site would be impossible to obtain
without seriously crippling the whole sys
TEN. Locations in the immediate center o
the city could only be obtained by al
outlay Of from S40O, 900 to $500, 600, Will,
nothing within easy walking distance of tht
business portion of the city could be Sc
cured for less than $780, 900. The committed
deemed the expenditure of such large ad
ditional sum on the Central Library would
necessitate so much cutting down on the
amount allowable for district libraries thai
they would be very Incomplete affairs.
The question of whether the city might
not donate a downtown site was considered,
but soon dropped, as it involved the separa.
ton Of the library from the museum and ART
gallery, which it was generally conceded
should be at the PARK entrance, where
they could have room for additions in
the future. The committee found that
there would be great saving of money in
grouping the various buildings in one place
Taking all these points into consideration
the committee decided to recommend the
location of the central buildings at SchenIey
Park.
The object Of the committee is to have all
the branch libraries complete in themselves.
The main library will differ from them only
in being supplied with reference books on
sll professions, arts and sciences. The fol.
lowing is the report as submitted by the
committee:
To the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Library
OF Pittsburg:
The subject referred to this committee ap-
pears upon investigation to take an almost
indefinite scope. 1t was, specifically, to re-
port upon the character and cost of the
buildings TO be erected at the entrance OF
Schenley Park. But no definite recommen-
datiOu can be made as to location of build
ings there without reaching a recommenda-
tlon, positive or negative, on the question OF
locating buildings elsewhere. Any estimate
Of expenditure at the park entrance implies
a complementary decision of the amount to
be devoted to the erection of buildings at
other points. The discussion of the merits
or dement's of sites, apart from their relation
TO grouping or division of buildings and the
appropriation of the building fund to either
policy, is outside of the province of this
committee. Upon that aspect of the subiec:
the committee submits the following con-
siderstions:
One fact should first be stated, defining the
powers Of the board. The letter OF Mr.
Carnegie to the City Councils of Pittsburg
which forms the foundation for the exist
euce of the board, specified the purposes to
be attained by his donation. These were
the erection of the buildings for, first, a
library system to consist of branch libraries
IN the various sections of the city and a GEN.
tral library; second, an art gallery as a part
of the central building; and third, in the
same group, accommodations for the various
scientific and learned societies of the eitv.
Since this proposition was made the basis
for the work of the board, suggestions have
been offered for valuable additions to the
project BY including large public hall or
auditorium and museum of arcbae-
ology, natural history and kindred
subjects. 1t is recognized that these
propositions have met with favor not oniy
from the members Of the Board but from the
donor of the fund. But it is essential that
these additional features can only be at
tanned, if the fund at the disposal of the
board proves sufficient after the purposes
specifically mentioned by Mr.. Carnegie
have been adequately provided for. A
proper respect for the terms of the donation
viii not permit the board to cut down or
abandon the specified features for the sake
of including others that are not specified.
A very wide liberty of definition is lett to
The board as 20 the character of the central
and branch libraries. But the general
proposition is indisputable that it must first
provide the system consisting of a central
collection of books, circulating Libraries dis
uibuted throughout the various quarters of
the city, the art gallery and rooms for the
meetings of societies devoted to the arts and
sciences. After adequate provision for
these features is secured the addition of an
auditorium and a museum may be expected,
II the fund at the disposal OF the board is
SO managed as to cover these obj ects.
Approaching the subject from this stand
point, the first issue bearing on the location
OF building at Schenley Park is that of To-
eating any part Of the buildings elsewhere.
As starting point, the committee notes the
general agreement that the art galleries and
the museum-lt the latter feature is secured
must be located on the park entrance.
The necessity OF space for the future exten-
sion OF these features, and of protecting
their contents from damage by smoke and
dust, fixes their location at this point by
general assent. Beyond this a large element
of public opinion, which is represented on
the board and on this committee. has ur-
gently maintained that for the sake of Civ
ing the widest utility to the central library
aud the auditorium, it would be a good in
vcstment for portion of the fund. To use
it in purchasing site in the business Sec
tion of the city, or closely adjacent to il.
With the vast range of arguments on the
respective merits OF a downtown and marx
site, this committee mas nothing to do. ex-
cept as they bear on the appropriation of
funds TO the various buildings The discus
SION OF thar question with reference to a pur-
chased site is shortened by the fact that no