Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1914-07-02
Handsome Carnegie Library On
Liberty Street To Cost
$l6,5OO.
WILL BE OPENED NEXT MONTH
Building Designed By John 7.
Waller and Erected By
Forbes Mfg. Co.

One of the handsomest of the many
new buildings of which Hopkinsville
will be able to boast before the pass
ing of the present year, is the Car
negie Library Building. 1t was at
first proposed to put the Library on
what is now Peace Park, but, wing
to an adverse decision as to the le-
gality of using that ground for Lii
brary purposes, it was decided to
erect the building on some other site
and the lot on the corner Of Liberty
and Eighth streets was purchased in
| November 1913, by the retiring city
council. The ground was broken by
Mayor Chas. NJ. Meacham on Decem
Der 20, 1913. The work was soon
under way and was continued through
the winter and spring months.
The plan for the building, which
has received compliments from sew
eral of the best library experts in the
state, was drawn by Jno. T. Waller.
The building faces Liberty street
1t is of Roman Doric architecture
and is a one-story building with a
large basement. II is about 55 feet
by GO feet in size and all the arrange
ments will be modern. The outer
walls of the building are made of
buff brick and Bowling Green stone.
The fnishings are of pressed brick
and faced with stone.
You enter the bu lding by concrete
front steps and come directly into
the front hall, where the librarian
will have her desk. On the right side
of this hall will be a general read
ing room and there will be areading
room for children on the left. Back
of this room will be the librarian
room. In the rear, to the right. will
be a stock room and reference room.
! From the back of the main floor
there is a stairway leading to the
| basement. There will also be con-
crete steps to the basement from
either side of the front steps. In the
/ basement will be a large lecture
room with a stage and other equip
ments, and al o a room made to take
care of the meetings of any literary
societies or clubs. Am le storage
room will also be made in the base
ment for any furnishings not in use.
| The o9ter walls of the basement will
be of double breadth, thus making
| the basement well provided a ainst
/ dampness. A drain pipe will also
run all the way around the building.
The building will be steam heated
and an excellent system of ventila-
ton has been installed. The rooms
will be lighted by electric lights and
the wiring will be run through met
al conduits, so that no part or it can
be exposed. The lights will have
pendant fixtures and Alba globes.
On the two buttresses on either side
of the front steps there will be two
two lamp stands of cast metal, which
will add greatly to beautifying the
outside appearance of the library.
On either side of the front will be a
tablet to Andrew Carnegie, the great
philanthropist who gave the build
ing to Hopkinsville.
The contract for the work was let
to the Forbes Manufacturing Com
pany for $4,000. The brick work
was done by Dalton Bros. Brick Co..
and the concrete work by the Meach-
am Contracting Company. The build
ing will be completed about the last
of August, or the first of Septem-
Der, and the equipment and furnish
ing will be taken up Immediately.
The woodwork will be Of dark oak and
the floor will be covered with cork
linoleum. The total shelf capacity
will be about l6 600 volumes Some
Of these books will be ordered at the
start and the lib airy already has the
equipment of the former Hopkins
willie Public Library in hand.
The city council in authorizing the
construction of the library agreed to
give 81, 500 each wear for the main