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1889
-- The first library in Greenville came about due to a growing need for students
to have a good selection of books to help them with their studies. Professor F.
Gillman Cromer, Superintendent of schools, was responsible for raising the money
needed. A pageant was held at Martin Trainor's Opera House on West Third Street
(later known as State Theatre). With a total of $75.00 raised, the Free School
Library was opened in the old East School.
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1892 -- Businessman Frank M. McWhinney
donated a room in his brick business located on Fifth Street across from
Christian Tabernacle, which is now the Wayne Theatre, to house the library.
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1894 -- Free School Library had again
outgrown itself. Henry St. Clair, seeing the need for reference services,
offered to furnish and maintain one for the public. Later he donated his own
reference collection. The Board of Education levied a 1/10-mill levy to
maintain the library.
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1901 -- A commission sought aid from
Mr. Andrew Carnegie. Mr. Carnegie furnished $15,000 for building
construction if the city would provide the site and a minimum $2,000 per year
for up keep. An additional $10,000 was requested from Mr. Carnegie. The
architect was W.S. Kaugman from Richmond, Indiana. Mr. Dennis Dwyer was the
contractor.
Architectural History
The cornerstone was
laid by Grandmaster of Masons of the state of Ohio, on October 30, 1901.
Placed inside the cornerstone were the following:
- A history of the library
- Correspondence of Andrew Carnegie and the Greenville Board of
Education regarding the new building
- Resolutions of the Greenville Board of Education and the Greenville
City Council providing for support of the library
- A list containing the names of President Theodore Roosevelt and his
Cabinet and the presiding officers of the U.S. Senate and House
- A list of state officials and different boards of the City of
Greenville
- The Greenville Board of Education, its committees, officers and
teachers of the schools
- A list of Darke County officials
- A list of Masonic officials
- An account of the assassination of President William McKinley and his
last address
- Copies of the eight newspapers being printed in Greenville at that
time (Greenville Journal, Greenville Democrat, Daily Advocate, Daily
Tribune, Democratic Advocate, Weekly Tribune, Deutsche Umschau,
Greenville Courier)
- A copy of the report of the city school,
the librarian’s report and a copy of the cornerstone ceremony
It was a grand ceremony with the Dayton Soldiers Home Band leading a
procession around town. A feature of the Carnegie Library was the basement,
which was turned into a museum. The Katzenberger collection of implements,
firearms, coins and curios were donated to the library in 1901 and accepted
by Frazer E. Wilson. Other collections followed. Charles Katzenberger
volunteered at the library as the museum's curator.
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1903 -- March 19, the building was
dedicated.
Funding for the construction was as follows:
- $25,000 donated by Andrew Carnegie
- $3,610 donated by Henry St. Clair
- $7,175 donated by School board
- $35,785 total donations
St. Clair also donated the furnishings and statuary of the St. Clair
reference room (the reference collection was estimated to be worth $10,000).
Several days before the opening ceremony for the library, area students stood
in a line stretching from the McWhinney building up the new sidewalks of the
new library. They passed the books from the shelves in one building to the
shelves in the new.
Miss Lucy Arnold, librarian, had the honor of carrying in the first book, the
Bible.
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1905 -- Charles Katzenberger and two
members of the board of trustees brought back a priceless collection of
firearms and military relics of St. Clair and Wayne armies from Fort Recovery.
There were also many paintings and documents on display in the museum.
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1914 -- The museum occupied three large
rooms and the hall in the basement. There were over 3,000 separate articles
exhibited in 40 cases.
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1946 -- Running out of space to put the
numerous books added to the library over years, it was decided that the museum
would be moved to the old Garst Home, which had been donated by the Garst heirs
for that purpose. All of the Carnegie Library's collection was moved to the
Garst Home.
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1972 -- The Carnegie Public Library
changed its name to Greenville Public Library.
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1980 -- Greenville Public Library (Carnegie
Library) and the Henry St. Clair Memorial Hall were added to the National
Register of Historic Places on November 26. The criteria: both buildings are
associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; both embody the
distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction, or
represent the work of a master, possess high artistic values, or represent a
significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual
distinction.
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1989 -- After an elevator was installed, the
upstairs attic was renovated into the office area.
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1990 -- Renovations to the attic area were
finally finished and plans were made for the renovation of the old office area
located in the lower level.
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1991 -- The old office area was opened up to
make room for the large print books and recordings. The large print books were
eventually moved back up to the main floor and the extra space was used for all of
the audio-visuals. The Genealogy Department was moved into the back room downstairs,
which used to be the coal bin for the furnace room. The computers were also placed
in the downstairs area for public use.
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1994 -- The main floor was redone by taking out
the lowered ceiling panels and restoring the ceilings to their original look.
Carpeting was put down in three of the rooms and wood panels were added to the ends
of the metal shelves.
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1995 -- A computer was added to the Reference
Room to help bring the library into the modern days. The computer allowed access to
the Internet, and also CD-ROM programs such as phone directories and encyclopedias.
At this time, staff members were converting the card files to computer to get the
library ready for automation. A videotape cleaner was purchased by the Friends of the
Library to be used to clean the library's tapes and check them for defects.
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1996 -- The library completes automation and
shuts down for a week in June to allow the staff, board members and volunteers to
place the barcodes on all of the materials.
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1997 -- The library designates the lower level
desk as the Circulation area and the main floor desk as a full-time Reference area.
Two more computers are added in the Reference Room to access the Internet along with
two of the Online Card Catalog serving as backup computers for Internet.
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1998 -- A book drop was attached to the lower
level entrance to allow patrons to return material when the library was closed. The
Friends of the Library purchased a laminating machine to cover library books and also
materials brought in by the public.
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1999 -- Three more computers were added to the
Reference Room to accommodate the increasing demand for access to the Internet.
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2006 -- The library upgrades to a new windows
based electronic catalog, POLARIS. Preparations for the renovations began.
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2007 -- The library moved to the Old Biddlestone
building so that renovations and the construction of to new wings to the library could
begin.
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2008 -- In June the library was moved into the
newly renovated location at 520 Sycamore. Addition of 10 new patron computers, 4 new
childrens computers and the replacement of the old reference desk all soon followed.
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2009 -- ???
