Gilroy ’ s Carnegie Library Building Turns One Hundred
Saturday , June 26th
Garlic City Fun Run
300 Classic Cars • Food & Entertainment Noon to 9:00 pm
( Sponsored by the Gilroy Downtown Business Association )
As Gilroy prepares to celebrate the 100 th anniversary of its Carnegie Library building we thought it would be fun to share some of that history with you . The Gilroy Historical Society plans a big celebration on the morning of June 26 th to mark the occasion .
The building will be draped in bunting and the newly restored portraits of Andrew Carnegie and Caroline Hoxett will be unveiled . After a few short speeches there will be tours of both floors highlighting its architectural features . Guests will receive a souvenir poster explaining the history of the building . Exhibits will feature old books and the original card catalog , plus anecdotes of the early library users . Light refreshments will be served on the lawn .
After several years of community discussion about the need for a library , and pressure from the editor of the Gilroy Advocate , the City Council finally passed a resolution to establish and maintain a library in early 1906 . Mayor Dunlap wrote to Andrew Carnegie asking for a $ 10,000 grant and received a favorable response . As still happens today , there was lots more public discussion about whether it was advisable to accept this grant , what strings would be attached and where it should be located . Our famous benefactress , the wealthy widow Caroline Hoxett , stepped forward and saved the day by purchasing the tennis court lot on the corner of Fifth and Church Streets for $ 1,000 and donating it to the city .
One of the strings attached was the requirement that the plans needed approval by Carnegie ’ s staff . Andrew Carnegie wanted his legacy to be a substantial building that would last for a long time . The renowned Central Coast architect , William Week submitted his plans for the beautiful classical style building . These blueprints went on to serve as the basis for nine other Carnegie libraries in northern California . The contractor ,
Hiram J . Wood of Watsonville , completed the library at a cost of $ 9,204 . The remainder of the grant was used to buy furnishings and books .
On July 27 , 1910 the brand new library opened with 1,700 books on the shelves . Beneath the central skylight rotunda four archways opened into spacious reading and book rooms . Heavy oak study tables with polished bentwood chairs awaited library patrons . Conveniences included a fireplace and a central heating system fired by coal . The building had both gas and electric lighting , a marble sink , built-in counters and cupboards and a dumbwaiter for bringing books up from the basement , all of which can still be seen today .
Many Gilroyans have fond memories of visiting the library during their formative years . They remember the smell , the favorite books and the librarian allowing them to help re-shelve the books . The first librarian was Mary Briggs Benn , followed by Irma Whitney Kilgore , Pearl Lavin , Marjorie Grodhaus , Mary Goshert , Alice Dawson , and June Hymas . Our current librarian , Lani Yoshimura , has been in Gilroy since 1984 .
In 1958 Armand White initiated a “ museum ” in the basement with a display of American Glass , and in 1963 the Gilroy Museum was formally established there . When Gilroy outgrew the building and the “ new ” library was built in 1975 , the museum moved upstairs to occupy the entire building . The buildings beautiful architecture make it a perfect showcase for Gilroy ’ s cultural legacy . Our Carnegie Library was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 . It is one of 142 Carnegie library buildings in California and 1,681 built in the United States . As we begin to build our beautiful third library building on Sixth Street , it is a perfect time to celebrate the building that started it all one hundred years ago .
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