Carnegie Free Library
Carnegie Free Library

Carnegie Free Library

The picture shows the Carnegie Library, which was the precursor of today's Public Library. Actually, El Paso Public Library is the oldest public library in Texas. It was founded by the teacher Mary Irene Stanton in 1894, when she donated her personal collection for a boy's Reading Club, to help her students. The books were placed in a room in the Sheldon building. The room became so popular that adults asked for the privileges of reading Stanton's books and the membership was extended to all, including women. The first library association was formed in 1896 consisting of Stanton as librarian and other women. In the same year the reading room was moved to City Hall. In 1899 it became open to the public. By 1900, the library had more than 1,500 books on the shelves and the first trained librarian was hired. With the financial support of the Carnegie Foundation of the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, a separate building was built in 1904, the Carnegie Library. Mauran, Russell and Garden, architects from St. Louis, designed the library. It was a one-story structure with half a basement and was built on the block then known as Buckler Square, later renamed Carnegie Square. One of the most important forces in the development in the El Paso Public Library has to be the tenure of Maud Durlin Sullivan, who came to the library in 1908. Sullivan built a huge collection of books, musical scores and art prints, acquired books written in Spanish, developed a usable system of access and exhibited art in the library. Sullivan served as librarian until her death in 1943. In 1954 a new library building opened at the same site.

Area: Central / Downtown

Collection: Stansel Postcard Collection

Source: University of Texas at El Paso Library - Special Collections Department

Reference ID: PH049-1-1-017

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History

Comments

Add a comment
Thank you for your comment

Report this entry

Choose the most important reason for this report

Your name

Your email address

Optional detail

Thank you for your report

More from the same community-collection

James Harden-Hickey

Traveling to Tibet before his marriage, his crew made a stop in ...

Felix Martinez

Felix Martinez's most lasting contribution was his strong ...

James P. Mills, father of Anson Mills

James P. Mills was born in 1808 in Pennsylvania. He became an ...

Ben Williams - El Paso Lawman - El Paso, Texas

Ben Williams operated the Ben Williams Detective Agency in El ...

William Bonney, aka Billy the Kid

William Bonney (1859–1881) Billy the Kid was a pathological ...

Dr. Charles T. Race

Dr. Charles T. Race was born in 1851 in Kentucky. He came to ...

Mr. Maurice C. Edwards

Mr. Edwards worked for Mr. Bassett in his lumber yard at Stanton ...

Capt. John Hughes-Texas Ranger - El Paso, Texas

In 1886 several horses were stolen from his and neighboring ...

Helen Leavitt

Helen Leavitt poses with her dog.

Maud Austion Crouse,El Paso Texas circa 1915

Maud Austion was the wife of Hugh Crouse, a doctor in El Paso, ...

Louise Austin - Mrs. James S. Marr

Wife of Col. James Marr, who was the founder of El Paso Transfer ...

Jose Antonio Escajeda - San Elizario, TX

José Antonio Escajeda was part of an early El Paso pioneer ...

William Simon Fraser - 1900's

William Simon Fraser was born around 1893 (1930's federal census ...

Captain John R. Hughes

HUGHES, JOHN REYNOLDS (1855–1947). John Reynolds Hughes, Texas ...

Thomas J. Beall

Thomas J. Beall, a distinguished lawyer representing various ...

Fred Felcher

Fred Felcher out for a buggy ride.

Maj. Gen. R. S. Canby

Soon after the Civil War began, Canby was named colonel of the ...

Florence Vilas, Ada Lyons, Kate McGhee - El Paso, Texas

From left to right: Florence Vilas, Ada Lyons, and Kate McGee. ...

Unidentified couple

The image shows two unidentified people, very nicely dressed, in ...

Unknown girl

Unidentified girl in photo.

Maj. Gen. Anson Mills

Anson Mills, surveyor, builder, army officer, engineer, American ...

Judge Gaylord Clarke

He studied law, and was admitted to the bar on July 19, 1869. In ...

Capt. John Hughes--Texas Ranger

John Reynolds Hughes (February 11, 1855 - June 3, 1947) was a ...

home.search_collection