South Branch History
South Branch History Carnegie Libraries The Cleveland Public Library branch building program began in 1903 with a $250, 000 gift from Andrew Carnegie. The Carnegie gift would provide the funds for the construction of the building, but the library system had to maintain the building. From 1903 to 1914, a total of $590,000 in funding was received. The Carnegie branches built were: Broadway, Brooklyn, Carnegie West, East 79th Street, Hough, Jefferson, Lorain, Miles Park, St. Clair, South, Sterling, Superior and Woodland. South Brooklyn, which later became part of the Cleveland Public Library, was a Carnegie Library built in 1905 by the independent village of South Brooklyn, before annexation to Cleveland. The branches were equipped with circulating, reference, and children’s club and study rooms, as described in the 1913 Annual Report. The branches had their own collection of books, a staff of librarian and assistants and were open full library hours. Smaller branches, originally called “sub-branches,” had smaller quarters, equipment and staff. They were open eight hours a day, mostly in the afternoon and evening. Between the years 1910 and 1930, twenty branches were opened. In 1915, there were 13 branches and 12 sub-branches or smaller branches. In 1919, there were 16 larger branches and 8 smaller branches. The larger branches were: Alta, Broadway, Brooklyn, Carnegie West, East 79th, East 3rd or Public Square, Glenville, Hough, Jefferson, Lorain, Miles Park, Quincy, St. Clair, South, Sterling and Woodland. The smaller branches were: Alliance, Clark, Collinwood, Edgewater, Hiram House, South Brooklyn, Superior and Temple. The distribution of library facilities and the needs of neighborhoods were serious considerations. In the1917-18 Annual Report, Linda Eastman wrote that there were still some of Cleveland districts without libraries: It is exceedingly desirable to supply these, and several smaller branches, which are occupying inadequate rented quarters, with small modern library buildings. The branch library is of great importance to the child. It is possible for older people to go farther for books; but unless the library is within walking distance of their houses, as the school is, most children cannot use it. Possibly a mile is the maximum walking distance for a child, and unfortunately there are still several populous neighborhoods which are much more than a mile from the nearest library. Branch libraries built after World War I were much smaller that the elaborate Carnegie libraries. The smaller Carnegie libraries were built to be “convertible” to another use in case the population should move out of the neighborhood. Unfortunately, the beautiful
Woodland branch was destroyed by fire in 1957. Four new library branches were built from 1961-1970: the new Woodland, Rockport, Walz and Martin Luther King, Jr. South Branch History The first south-side library opened in the neighborhood on February 22, 1897 in a rented building on the corner of Clark Avenue and Joseph Street (West 20th St.) between West 25th and Scranton Avenue. The building was built by Frank Seither and leased by the Library for a term of years. This was the first rented building that was built with the Library’s specifications and plans, approved by the Library Board. The rented building was yellow brick with stone trimmings, 75 feet in length and 36 feet in width with an L-shape that was 36 feet by 28 feet. The desk, book cases and tables were built in quartered-oak. By the end of 1911, there were over 7,000 volumes. There were 15 churches located the area served by the library. Because of the smallpox epidemic of 190102, books were fumigated. The Library decided to build South Branch in 1907. South Branch was the eighth branch in the system built by gifts from Andrew Carnegie.1 While the other branches were built in brick, South Branch was constructed of stone and notably stands apart. Henry Whitfield had designed many academic and public libraries, prior to the South Branch commission. Whitfield’s work included Tufts College, Massachusetts.
The Style of South Branch
1
The others were Woodland, St. Clair, Broadway, Miles Park, Hough and Carnegie West.
The building opened on June 12, 1911. The architecture was described in the 1911 Annual Report as English Gothic and the interior as Tudor. Hoghton Tower in Lancashire, England was cited as the inspiration for the library in Whitfield & King correspondence.2 The availability of limestone building material influenced the techniques of English stone masons. In an earlier letter dated October 6, 1908, Brett wrote to Whitfield & King: I am exceedingly desirous that this building should be definitely a correct example of the Tudor architecture. I believe that to have a public building which could be pointed out as an example of this style would be of value to the city. The building is constructed of rough-hewn gray stone, random ashlar (cut stone). It has a symmetrical front façade with rectangular framed front entrance and windows. There are dressed architraves, mullions and corner quoins. The entrance bay has medallions, the roofline has pinnacles. The roof parapet is crenellated, that is, it has open spaces at the top of the wall originally styled for defensive purposes. The large windows were a feature allowing the interior to be flooded with natural light. There was an octagonal skylight over the central court. Ceiling panels radiate out to the flat arches and are supported by eight piers. The building is entered through a vestibule and a corridor. Directly in front, is the Circulating Room, where books are charged out, returned and library cards are issued. To the left of the entrance is the Reference and Reading Room. To the right is the Children’s Room with an ingle-nook and window seats. Originally, club rooms were on a second floor, including one that was designated the Lincoln Room with collected memorabilia. At the rear of the building was a quiet Study Room. The basement contained the storeroom and heating plant. An auditorium was originally part of the plans for South Branch. The furniture was oak with a greenish gray finish. Fireplace tiles are Moravian Pottery & Tile Works located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The pattern was referred to as “Medieval Decoratives,” and was composed of red clay with blue and dark green glazes. South Branch was located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Scranton and Clark Avenues. St. Michael the Archangel Church, built in stone in1892 occupied the south eastern corner. The stone structure of South Branch balances the stone presence of St. Michael’s tall façade and its long northern wall facing Clark Avenue. The third corner, the north eastern, was occupied by the brick Baptist Church. The fourth corner had a commercial two story brick building. The location was central to a residential neighborhood and within reach of several public and parish schools. The neighborhood in 1911 was largely German, Bohemian and 2
Whitfield to Brett, 16 September 1912.
American born. By 1924, older families had moved out and more immigrant families moved in. Twenty-one different nationalities were represented in the branches’ register.
The Architect and the Style of the Building It has been construed as favorable treatment that Henry Whitfield, as Andrew Carnegie’s brother-in-law, received library commissions. However, Whitfield & King had designed many academic and public libraries. There are other examples of Whitfield & King’s library designs prior to 1911 and South Branch. Some examples of Whitfield & King’s work are: Carnegie Library Laramie, WY, 1903 Carnegie Public Library, Jennings, Louisiana, 1907 Carnegie Library, Hickman, Kentucky, 1908, Anne Wallace Branch, Atlanta, Georgia, 1908 Carnegie Library, White Plains, New York, 1908 Carnegie Library, Barnesville, Georgia, 1909 Wissahickon Carnegie Library, Philadelphia Free Library, 19093
3
Whitfield to Charles D. Williams, President of Cleveland Public Library Board, 11, October 1905
Carnegie Library Laramie, Wyoming, 1903 Located at 405 E. Grand Avenue. The two story brick building has a hipped roof, four brick piers with limestone capitals, corners with brick quoins and an entablature with dentils. The building houses government offices currently. Not in use as a library.
Carnegie Library White Plains, New York 1904 Located at 115 Grand Street at the intersection of Quarropeas Street. The building was demolished in the 1970s as part of a massive urban renewal project in downtown White Plains.4 No longer extant.
4
“White Plains Public Library: Mrs. Isabel D. Clark, Director,” in Library Outline 247, August 1953 as researched by Miriam Berg Varian, Local History Librarian, White Plains Public Library, July 9, 2013
Carnegie Library Jennings, Louisiana 1907 Located at 303 Cary Avenue. The building is a one story with dome in Georgian style; yellow brick with limestone trim, four Corinthian columns, semi-circular fanlight over entrance; arched windows with keystones. Currently in use as a library.
Carnegie Library Hickman, Kentucky 1908 Located on Moscow Avenue, between Troy Avenue and Third Street The building is Classical Revival style, one story, brick and concrete, 3-bays, rectangular plan, hipped roof, slightly recessed front entrance, string course. The building served as town’s public library and served in this function until 1975. The building was vacant until 1990 when it was being renovated as a museum and tourist center.5 Not in use as a library.
5
National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Carnegie Library, Hickman, KY.
Anne Wallace Branch Carnegie Library Atlanta, Georgia 1908 Located 538 Luckie Street. The branch was named after Anne Wallace, the first librarian of Carnegie Library System of Atlanta. The Classical Revival style building is one story with basement a portico with pediment and four Corinthian columns, fanlight over entrance, entablature with dentils, hipped roof, windows and cornice details. Not in use as a library.
Wissahickon Branch, Philadelphia Public Library 1909 Located at the intersection of Manayunk Avenue and Kalos Street. The building was one story Colonial Revival, hipped roof, arched windows, Ionic columns, quioning at the corners of the building. The building burned down prior to 1970.6 Library service continued in a new building, Roxborough Library, opened in 1969. No longer extant.
Carnegie Library of Barnesville, Georgia 1910 Located on Holmes Street. One story building in Colonial Revival of red brick with limestone trim, projected front entrance arched windows. Not in use as a library. Thirty-Sixth Street Branch, Minneapolis, Minnesota 1916 Located at347 East 36th Street The red brick and terra cotta trim building is in Collegiate Gothic style, towers flank the entrance, a parapet with battlements or crenellation, The Thirty Sixth Street Branch is currently the Hosmer Community Library, Hennepin County Library. Currently in use as a library.
6
Information from Free Library of Philadelphia http://libwww.freelibrary.org/branches/history.cfm?loc=rox
Georgian style can be described as a formal arrangement of parts with symmetrical composition and classical detail. Whitfield & King’s designs utilized a projected entrance with a pediment and columns. The windows had multiple panes of glass, which gave a sparkling appearance to contrast with the warmth of the brick building. Other architectural elements used repeatedly by Whitfield & King are arched windows, fanlights, columns and quoining on the corners. Wissahickon and White Plains branches shared similar design elements: a rectangular block, hipped roof, two Ionic columns and two engaged pilasters framing the arched entrance with a fanlight. Of the eight Carnegie library by Whitfield & King or Whitfield, two buildings are still be used as libraries, two buildings have been demolished and four are currently not used as libraries. South Branch is set apart from these remaining works of Whitfield & King. The building shares a characteristic with the Thirty Sixth Street Branch in the evocation of a medieval time period. However, built of stone, South Branch is significantly different. The South Branch has the original configuration of the circular layout of rooms, central circulation desk and the clear window screens that separate rooms and contain noise while maintaining sight-lines. The branch is the manifestation of earlier library planning and the provision of a comforting environment. The South Branch building becomes more valuable in endurance as well as use.
South Branch Service Area In the late 1903s, Leon Carnovsky, a University of Chicago Library School professor, conducted an appraisal of Cleveland Public Library. In regard to the number and types of branches , Carnovsky found, “…as compared with other cities, Cleveland is well supplied with branch libraries. Each of the 33 branches serves an average of about 30,000 people.”7 A library working paper itemized the eight census tracks in the South Branch service area.8 The census data in the service area approximated a decline in the branch service area over thirty years: 1930 –39,066; 1950- 35,577; 1960 –33,368. After 1960, South Branch’s service area was adversely affected by the construction of Interstates 71, 90 and 490. The disruption to the neighborhood is cited many times through branch annual reports. With the coming of the freeway extension of Route 71, Cleveland to Cincinnati, the community around South Branch is undergoing a great change…Over one hundred and fifty homes have been demolished to make room for the two mile section of the freeway. This includes houses on West 14th, 15th and 16th streets and also on Wade and Vega Avenues several streets north of the library. Schools were untouched but both public and parochial report a loss of enrollment.9 The branch experienced circulation and registration loss. By the year 1967, “Fewer people live in this area today than a few years ago. It has been estimated that the population dropped from 29,000 to 19,000 since the beginning of Interstate 71 construction.”10 The effects of the highway construction and the opening of elementary school libraries were contributing factors to the circulation loss for several years. The annual reports also document the varied changes in the South branch service area, in addition to the highway construction. Twelve homes and two business establishments were demolished on the southeast corner of Scranton and Clark Avenue. A new Atlantic Service Station was built on the corner creates more traffic but it is well lighted at night and adds to the safety and attractiveness of the area. Just south of the new gas station a new church hall is being built by St. Michael’s Parish which will also add to the area.11 Library staff’s observed that the Reference Room was used by students and that the library was appreciated as a warm and pleasant haven by older patrons. Library staff knew that 7
Carnovsky, An Appraisal of the Cleveland Public Library, Chapter Vii, 232. Library Branches and Their Service Areas: Cleveland 1938. 9 South Branch Library Annual Report, 1964. 10 South Branch 1967 Annual Report, 4. 11 South Branch 1969 Annual Report, 2. 8
books and information were not the only needs and that referrals to social services were difficult to make during these times. The demolition of buildings and then the construction of two highways had multiple effects. The annual reports wrote about the depopulation and then isolation: A Multi-Service Center has been set up in the Tremont area but with Interstate Highway 71 separating us from the Tremont Area, and the Clark Freeway (under construction) dividing us from the Near West Side, we realize the need for smaller units of social services for those who need it.12 By 1976, South Branch served a community of 11, 543, with a population drop of 31% from 1960 to 1970.13
12 13
South Branch 1969 Annual Report, 5. Huttner, Cleveland Public Library Program for Branches 1976-1980, A-95
Appendix A South Branch 3096 Scranton Road Architect: Henry D. Whitfield & King, New York Opened: June 12, 1911 Neighborhood: Clark-Fulton Cost of site: $10,000 Cost of building and equipment: $61,800 Artwork: Fireplace tiles by Moravian Pottery & Tile Works, “Medieval Decoratives”
Appendix B Additional Whitfield designed libraries
Mirror Lake Library, St. Petersburg, Florida
South Worcester Branch Library, Worcester, Massachusetts
Notes 1. The others were Woodland, St. Clair, Broadway, Miles Park, Hough and Carnegie West. 2. Whitfield to Brett, 16 September 1912. 3. Whitfield to Charles D. Williams, President of Cleveland Public Library Board, 11, October 1905 4. “White Plains Public Library: Mrs. Isabel D. Clark, Director,” in Library Outline 247, August 1953 as researched by Miriam Berg Varian, Local History Librarian, White Plains Public Library, July 9, 2013 5. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Carnegie Library, Hickman, KY. 6. Information from Free Library of Philadelphia http://libwww.freelibrary.org/branches/history.cfm?loc=rox 7. Carnovsky, An Appraisal of the Cleveland Public Library, Chapter Vii, 232. 8. Library Branches and Their Service Areas: Cleveland 1938. 9. South Branch Library Annual Report, 1964. 10. South Branch 1967 Annual Report, 4. 11. South Branch 1969 Annual Report, 2. 12. . South Branch 1969 Annual Report, 5. 13. Huttner, Marian Cleveland Public Library Program for Branches 1976-1980, A-95
Bibliography Brett, William Howard Boxes Carnovsky, Leon. “An Appraisal of the Cleveland Public Library: Evaluations and Recommendations,” (working paper, Cleveland Public Library, 1939). Koch, Theodore Wesley. A Portfolio of Carnegie Branches. Ann Arbor: G. Wahr, 1907. Huttner, Marian. “Cleveland Public Library Program for Branches 1976-1980” (working paper, Cleveland Public Library, May 1976). “Library Branches and Their Service Areas: Cleveland, 1938” from Branch Department Box: Branch Dept. 1930-1939, Branch Hours 1940-1980, Misc., Children’s Programs, Extensions, summaries of Branch Buildings South Branch Annual Reports, 1964, 1967
Woodland branch was destroyed by fire in 1957. Four new library branches were built from 1961-1970: the new Woodland, Rockport, Walz and Martin Luther King, Jr. South Branch History The first south-side library opened in the neighborhood on February 22, 1897 in a rented building on the corner of Clark Avenue and Joseph Street (West 20th St.) between West 25th and Scranton Avenue. The building was built by Frank Seither and leased by the Library for a term of years. This was the first rented building that was built with the Library’s specifications and plans, approved by the Library Board. The rented building was yellow brick with stone trimmings, 75 feet in length and 36 feet in width with an L-shape that was 36 feet by 28 feet. The desk, book cases and tables were built in quartered-oak. By the end of 1911, there were over 7,000 volumes. There were 15 churches located the area served by the library. Because of the smallpox epidemic of 190102, books were fumigated. The Library decided to build South Branch in 1907. South Branch was the eighth branch in the system built by gifts from Andrew Carnegie.1 While the other branches were built in brick, South Branch was constructed of stone and notably stands apart. Henry Whitfield had designed many academic and public libraries, prior to the South Branch commission. Whitfield’s work included Tufts College, Massachusetts.
The Style of South Branch
1
The others were Woodland, St. Clair, Broadway, Miles Park, Hough and Carnegie West.
The building opened on June 12, 1911. The architecture was described in the 1911 Annual Report as English Gothic and the interior as Tudor. Hoghton Tower in Lancashire, England was cited as the inspiration for the library in Whitfield & King correspondence.2 The availability of limestone building material influenced the techniques of English stone masons. In an earlier letter dated October 6, 1908, Brett wrote to Whitfield & King: I am exceedingly desirous that this building should be definitely a correct example of the Tudor architecture. I believe that to have a public building which could be pointed out as an example of this style would be of value to the city. The building is constructed of rough-hewn gray stone, random ashlar (cut stone). It has a symmetrical front façade with rectangular framed front entrance and windows. There are dressed architraves, mullions and corner quoins. The entrance bay has medallions, the roofline has pinnacles. The roof parapet is crenellated, that is, it has open spaces at the top of the wall originally styled for defensive purposes. The large windows were a feature allowing the interior to be flooded with natural light. There was an octagonal skylight over the central court. Ceiling panels radiate out to the flat arches and are supported by eight piers. The building is entered through a vestibule and a corridor. Directly in front, is the Circulating Room, where books are charged out, returned and library cards are issued. To the left of the entrance is the Reference and Reading Room. To the right is the Children’s Room with an ingle-nook and window seats. Originally, club rooms were on a second floor, including one that was designated the Lincoln Room with collected memorabilia. At the rear of the building was a quiet Study Room. The basement contained the storeroom and heating plant. An auditorium was originally part of the plans for South Branch. The furniture was oak with a greenish gray finish. Fireplace tiles are Moravian Pottery & Tile Works located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The pattern was referred to as “Medieval Decoratives,” and was composed of red clay with blue and dark green glazes. South Branch was located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Scranton and Clark Avenues. St. Michael the Archangel Church, built in stone in1892 occupied the south eastern corner. The stone structure of South Branch balances the stone presence of St. Michael’s tall façade and its long northern wall facing Clark Avenue. The third corner, the north eastern, was occupied by the brick Baptist Church. The fourth corner had a commercial two story brick building. The location was central to a residential neighborhood and within reach of several public and parish schools. The neighborhood in 1911 was largely German, Bohemian and 2
Whitfield to Brett, 16 September 1912.
American born. By 1924, older families had moved out and more immigrant families moved in. Twenty-one different nationalities were represented in the branches’ register.
The Architect and the Style of the Building It has been construed as favorable treatment that Henry Whitfield, as Andrew Carnegie’s brother-in-law, received library commissions. However, Whitfield & King had designed many academic and public libraries. There are other examples of Whitfield & King’s library designs prior to 1911 and South Branch. Some examples of Whitfield & King’s work are: Carnegie Library Laramie, WY, 1903 Carnegie Public Library, Jennings, Louisiana, 1907 Carnegie Library, Hickman, Kentucky, 1908, Anne Wallace Branch, Atlanta, Georgia, 1908 Carnegie Library, White Plains, New York, 1908 Carnegie Library, Barnesville, Georgia, 1909 Wissahickon Carnegie Library, Philadelphia Free Library, 19093
3
Whitfield to Charles D. Williams, President of Cleveland Public Library Board, 11, October 1905
Carnegie Library Laramie, Wyoming, 1903 Located at 405 E. Grand Avenue. The two story brick building has a hipped roof, four brick piers with limestone capitals, corners with brick quoins and an entablature with dentils. The building houses government offices currently. Not in use as a library.
Carnegie Library White Plains, New York 1904 Located at 115 Grand Street at the intersection of Quarropeas Street. The building was demolished in the 1970s as part of a massive urban renewal project in downtown White Plains.4 No longer extant.
4
“White Plains Public Library: Mrs. Isabel D. Clark, Director,” in Library Outline 247, August 1953 as researched by Miriam Berg Varian, Local History Librarian, White Plains Public Library, July 9, 2013
Carnegie Library Jennings, Louisiana 1907 Located at 303 Cary Avenue. The building is a one story with dome in Georgian style; yellow brick with limestone trim, four Corinthian columns, semi-circular fanlight over entrance; arched windows with keystones. Currently in use as a library.
Carnegie Library Hickman, Kentucky 1908 Located on Moscow Avenue, between Troy Avenue and Third Street The building is Classical Revival style, one story, brick and concrete, 3-bays, rectangular plan, hipped roof, slightly recessed front entrance, string course. The building served as town’s public library and served in this function until 1975. The building was vacant until 1990 when it was being renovated as a museum and tourist center.5 Not in use as a library.
5
National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Carnegie Library, Hickman, KY.
Anne Wallace Branch Carnegie Library Atlanta, Georgia 1908 Located 538 Luckie Street. The branch was named after Anne Wallace, the first librarian of Carnegie Library System of Atlanta. The Classical Revival style building is one story with basement a portico with pediment and four Corinthian columns, fanlight over entrance, entablature with dentils, hipped roof, windows and cornice details. Not in use as a library.
Wissahickon Branch, Philadelphia Public Library 1909 Located at the intersection of Manayunk Avenue and Kalos Street. The building was one story Colonial Revival, hipped roof, arched windows, Ionic columns, quioning at the corners of the building. The building burned down prior to 1970.6 Library service continued in a new building, Roxborough Library, opened in 1969. No longer extant.
Carnegie Library of Barnesville, Georgia 1910 Located on Holmes Street. One story building in Colonial Revival of red brick with limestone trim, projected front entrance arched windows. Not in use as a library. Thirty-Sixth Street Branch, Minneapolis, Minnesota 1916 Located at347 East 36th Street The red brick and terra cotta trim building is in Collegiate Gothic style, towers flank the entrance, a parapet with battlements or crenellation, The Thirty Sixth Street Branch is currently the Hosmer Community Library, Hennepin County Library. Currently in use as a library.
6
Information from Free Library of Philadelphia http://libwww.freelibrary.org/branches/history.cfm?loc=rox
Georgian style can be described as a formal arrangement of parts with symmetrical composition and classical detail. Whitfield & King’s designs utilized a projected entrance with a pediment and columns. The windows had multiple panes of glass, which gave a sparkling appearance to contrast with the warmth of the brick building. Other architectural elements used repeatedly by Whitfield & King are arched windows, fanlights, columns and quoining on the corners. Wissahickon and White Plains branches shared similar design elements: a rectangular block, hipped roof, two Ionic columns and two engaged pilasters framing the arched entrance with a fanlight. Of the eight Carnegie library by Whitfield & King or Whitfield, two buildings are still be used as libraries, two buildings have been demolished and four are currently not used as libraries. South Branch is set apart from these remaining works of Whitfield & King. The building shares a characteristic with the Thirty Sixth Street Branch in the evocation of a medieval time period. However, built of stone, South Branch is significantly different. The South Branch has the original configuration of the circular layout of rooms, central circulation desk and the clear window screens that separate rooms and contain noise while maintaining sight-lines. The branch is the manifestation of earlier library planning and the provision of a comforting environment. The South Branch building becomes more valuable in endurance as well as use.
South Branch Service Area In the late 1903s, Leon Carnovsky, a University of Chicago Library School professor, conducted an appraisal of Cleveland Public Library. In regard to the number and types of branches , Carnovsky found, “…as compared with other cities, Cleveland is well supplied with branch libraries. Each of the 33 branches serves an average of about 30,000 people.”7 A library working paper itemized the eight census tracks in the South Branch service area.8 The census data in the service area approximated a decline in the branch service area over thirty years: 1930 –39,066; 1950- 35,577; 1960 –33,368. After 1960, South Branch’s service area was adversely affected by the construction of Interstates 71, 90 and 490. The disruption to the neighborhood is cited many times through branch annual reports. With the coming of the freeway extension of Route 71, Cleveland to Cincinnati, the community around South Branch is undergoing a great change…Over one hundred and fifty homes have been demolished to make room for the two mile section of the freeway. This includes houses on West 14th, 15th and 16th streets and also on Wade and Vega Avenues several streets north of the library. Schools were untouched but both public and parochial report a loss of enrollment.9 The branch experienced circulation and registration loss. By the year 1967, “Fewer people live in this area today than a few years ago. It has been estimated that the population dropped from 29,000 to 19,000 since the beginning of Interstate 71 construction.”10 The effects of the highway construction and the opening of elementary school libraries were contributing factors to the circulation loss for several years. The annual reports also document the varied changes in the South branch service area, in addition to the highway construction. Twelve homes and two business establishments were demolished on the southeast corner of Scranton and Clark Avenue. A new Atlantic Service Station was built on the corner creates more traffic but it is well lighted at night and adds to the safety and attractiveness of the area. Just south of the new gas station a new church hall is being built by St. Michael’s Parish which will also add to the area.11 Library staff’s observed that the Reference Room was used by students and that the library was appreciated as a warm and pleasant haven by older patrons. Library staff knew that 7
Carnovsky, An Appraisal of the Cleveland Public Library, Chapter Vii, 232. Library Branches and Their Service Areas: Cleveland 1938. 9 South Branch Library Annual Report, 1964. 10 South Branch 1967 Annual Report, 4. 11 South Branch 1969 Annual Report, 2. 8
books and information were not the only needs and that referrals to social services were difficult to make during these times. The demolition of buildings and then the construction of two highways had multiple effects. The annual reports wrote about the depopulation and then isolation: A Multi-Service Center has been set up in the Tremont area but with Interstate Highway 71 separating us from the Tremont Area, and the Clark Freeway (under construction) dividing us from the Near West Side, we realize the need for smaller units of social services for those who need it.12 By 1976, South Branch served a community of 11, 543, with a population drop of 31% from 1960 to 1970.13
12 13
South Branch 1969 Annual Report, 5. Huttner, Cleveland Public Library Program for Branches 1976-1980, A-95
Appendix A South Branch 3096 Scranton Road Architect: Henry D. Whitfield & King, New York Opened: June 12, 1911 Neighborhood: Clark-Fulton Cost of site: $10,000 Cost of building and equipment: $61,800 Artwork: Fireplace tiles by Moravian Pottery & Tile Works, “Medieval Decoratives”
Appendix B Additional Whitfield designed libraries
Mirror Lake Library, St. Petersburg, Florida
South Worcester Branch Library, Worcester, Massachusetts
Notes 1. The others were Woodland, St. Clair, Broadway, Miles Park, Hough and Carnegie West. 2. Whitfield to Brett, 16 September 1912. 3. Whitfield to Charles D. Williams, President of Cleveland Public Library Board, 11, October 1905 4. “White Plains Public Library: Mrs. Isabel D. Clark, Director,” in Library Outline 247, August 1953 as researched by Miriam Berg Varian, Local History Librarian, White Plains Public Library, July 9, 2013 5. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Carnegie Library, Hickman, KY. 6. Information from Free Library of Philadelphia http://libwww.freelibrary.org/branches/history.cfm?loc=rox 7. Carnovsky, An Appraisal of the Cleveland Public Library, Chapter Vii, 232. 8. Library Branches and Their Service Areas: Cleveland 1938. 9. South Branch Library Annual Report, 1964. 10. South Branch 1967 Annual Report, 4. 11. South Branch 1969 Annual Report, 2. 12. . South Branch 1969 Annual Report, 5. 13. Huttner, Marian Cleveland Public Library Program for Branches 1976-1980, A-95
Bibliography Brett, William Howard Boxes Carnovsky, Leon. “An Appraisal of the Cleveland Public Library: Evaluations and Recommendations,” (working paper, Cleveland Public Library, 1939). Koch, Theodore Wesley. A Portfolio of Carnegie Branches. Ann Arbor: G. Wahr, 1907. Huttner, Marian. “Cleveland Public Library Program for Branches 1976-1980” (working paper, Cleveland Public Library, May 1976). “Library Branches and Their Service Areas: Cleveland, 1938” from Branch Department Box: Branch Dept. 1930-1939, Branch Hours 1940-1980, Misc., Children’s Programs, Extensions, summaries of Branch Buildings South Branch Annual Reports, 1964, 1967
