The St. Petersburg Public Library (also known as the Mirror Lake Community Library or Carnegie Library) is a Carnegie library built in 1915 in Beaux-Arts style. It was one of 10 Florida Carnegie libraries to receive grants awarded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York from 1901 to 1917. Steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie provided funding for more than 3,000 Carnegie libraries in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The library is significant to the city's history as the first permanent home of the public library system and embodies the transformation of the city in the second decade of the twentieth century from a pioneer village to a city with viable cultural institutions.
When the city was awarded the $17,500 grant in 1913, it was the culmination of a five-year pursuit by Councilman Ralph Veillard, W.L. Straub, owner of the St. Petersburg Times, and Annie McCrae, who became the first secretary of the library. The grant was approved by the city, and the site on the banks of the city Reservoir (now Mirror Lake) was chosen on July 17, 1914.
The Mirror Lake Community Library is built in the Beaux-Arts style, with sculptural decoration along conservative modern lines, slightly overscaled details, bold sculptural supporting consoles, rich deep cornices, swags and sculptural enrichments. The Beaux- Arts style heavily influenced the architecture of the United States in the period from 1880 to 1920. The building's architect, Henry D. Whitfield worked for the Carnegie Corporation and designed this library, as well as many other Carnegie libraries in this style.
The Junior League presented the city with their first bookmobile in February 1949.
On June 13, 1986, the library was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
Mirror Lake Community Library was St. Petersburg’s only library until the current Main library was built at 3745 9th Avenue in 1964.
Renovations
St. Pete Extra! Paint the Library - On this episode learn about the historic Mirror Lake Library in downtown St. Petersburg.
In the 1980s, the Mirror Lake Community Library fell into a state of extreme disrepair. A faulty air conditioning system, water damage and mold plagued the building. The second floor was accessible only by a small, winding staircase; the main entrance was sealed. The city commissioned a study to determine if the building was fit to continue being used as a library.
In 1987, a plan to restore the library was approved by the City Council. A wing added in 1951 would be removed, and a new wing would be built in its place, and the 1915 building would be restored.
The restoration was delayed by the discovery of unexpected structural damage and wrangling over the city budget; on January 18, 1994 then-mayor David Fischer cut the ribbon to reopen the refurbished 1915 wing of the library. The elevator was not yet installed at this point, and handicap access was still an issue because the ground floor entrance and the 1951 wing were closed.
In 1997, the project was completed and library was expanded with an 8,000 square-foot addition designed to blend harmoniously with the historic exterior and an elevator to make all levels handicap accessible. It reopened with the added wing on May 21, 1997.
References
External links
- Official website
- http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/FL/Pinellas/state.html Pinellas County listings] for National Register of Historic Places at nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com (unofficial site)
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- https://web.archive.org/web/20140927014957/http://www.flheritage.com/facts/reports/places/index.cfm?fuseaction=ListAreas&county=Pinellas Pinellas County listings] at Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs website
- Friends of Mirror Lake]
