Brooklyn’s Carnegie Libraries: Part of Brooklyn’s living history
When book readers visit any of Brooklyn Public Library’s Park Slope, Pacific or Carroll Gardens branches, they may not be aware that each of these branches, as well as the now-demolished original Red Hook branch, are the architectural legacy of steel magnate Andrew Carnegie’s endowment in the early years of the 20th century.
Carnegie, who also built public baths and playgrounds, believed that free public libraries were essential for a functioning society, according to Bklyner. In 1902, he donated $1.6 million to Brooklyn to build 20 libraries, although the city was responsible for providing the land and buying the books.
Over the years, the branches have seen their share of wear and tear. Red Hook became a down-and-out neighborhood during the Great Depression, and after years of neglect, its original building was demolished in the 1940s, Bklyner said. More recently, The Pacific branch was threatened with demolition as recently as 2013, and it opened after renovations this past August.
