Library Grants, Presented by Andrew Carnegie,
in the Nineteenth Century

Credit: Most information taken from tables in Carnegie Libraries by George S. Bobinski(Copyright 1969).

Note: Some of the libraries, built with Nineteenth Century grant funds, were not completed until the Twentieth Century.

Name of Town***Previous Library?***Grant Amount***Date of Grant


Alameda CA***Yes***$35,000***10-3-1899

Allegheny PA***Yes***$481,012***1886; Opened: 2-20-1890

Atlanta GA(4 branches)***No***$202,000***10-3-1898

Beaver Falls PA***No***$50,000***8-15-1899

Braddock PA***No***$357,782***[12-31-1895???]Opened: 3-30-1889; addition: 1893

Bradford PA***Yes***$40,000***1-19-1900

Carnegie PA***No***$254,000***4-26-1898; Opened: 5-1-1901; second grant for endowment($100,000): 12-1912

Chattanooga TN***No***$50,000***12-27-1900

Cheyenne WY***Yes***$50,000***12-27-1899

Connellsville PA***No***$75,000***4-22-1899

Covington KY***Yes***$85,000***1-15-1900

Dallas TX(2 branches)***No***$76,000***8-23-1899

Davenport IA***No***$75,000***12-2-1899

Duluth MN(3 branches)***Yes***$125,000***10-7-1899

Dunfermline, Scotland***Yes***Opened: 1881

East Liverpool OH***No***$50,000***6-30-1899

East Orange NJ(3 branches)***No***$116,000***1-18-1900

Fairfield IA***Yes***$30,000***1-15-1892; Opened: 1893

Fort Worth TX***No***$50,000***6-30-1899; opened in 1901

Grand Junction CO***No***$8,000***12-21-1899

Havana IL***Yes***$8,000***10-3-1900

Homestead PA***No***$322,067***11-27-1896; Dedicated: 11-2-1898

Houston TX(2 branches)***Yes***$65,000***10-28-1899

Ironwood MI***No***$17,000***4-21-1900

Jefferson City MO***No***$25,000***1-15-1900

Johnstown PA***No***$55,332***5-9-1890

Leavenworth KS***Yes***$30,000***1-16-1900

Lincoln NE(2 branches)***Yes***$87,000***12-20-1899

Louisville KY(9 branches)***No***$450,000***11-11-1899

McKeesport PA***No***$50,000***4-2-1899

Newport KY***Yes***$26,500***10-30-1899

New York NY(66 branches)***Yes***$5,202,621***12-8-1899

Oakland CA(5 branches)***Yes***$190,000***8-23-1899

Oakmont PA***No***$25,000***1-24-1899

Oil City PA***No***$44,000***4-12-1900

Oklahoma City OK***No***$60,000***10-27-1899

Ottumwa IA***Yes***$50,000***2-16-1900

Pekin IL***Yes***$17,500***10-8-1900

Pittsburg TX***No***$5,000***4-30-1898

Pittsburgh PA(9 branches)***Yes***$1,160,614***2-6-1890***Main Library opened 11-5-1895; addition(Museums of Natural History and Art): 1907; Scaife-funded additon(Museum of Art): 1960s

Prescott AZ***No***$4,000***1899 July 4 (1997 Use: Real Estate Offices)

San Antonio TX***No***$70,000***1-6-1900

San Diego CA***Yes***$60,000***7-7-1899

Sandusky OH***Yes***$50,000***10-7-1899

Sedalia MO***Yes***$50,000***10-28-1899

Steubenville OH***No***$62,000***6-30-1899

Tucson AZ***Yes***$25,000***1899 Oct. 27 (1997 Use: Museum)

Washington DC ( 4 branches)***Yes***$682,000***3-16-1899

Library Grants in districts or territories of the United States of America
(2007 April 7)

 District of Columbia
* Washington DC (4 branches)***Yes***$682,000***1899 March 16
*** Main Branch
[Uses - 1997: University; 2000: Temporary Offices for new Convention Center construction; 2007: City History Museum (by appointment only)]
*** Takoma Park Branch (1997 Use: Library)
*** Southeastern (1997 Use: Library)
*** Mount Pleasant (1997 Use: Library)

Puerto Rico (Commonwealth status; statehood not sought by Commonwealth)
* San Juan PR***No***$100,000***10-4-1901

States Which Acquired Carnegie Libraries While Territories:

Arizona (Admitted to the Union as a state: 1912 Feb. 14)
* Phoenix***$25,000***1902 (Uses: 1975 June: Vacant and open to city park visitors!; 1997: Art museum)
* Prescott***No***$4,000***1899 July 4 (1997 Use: Real Estate Offices)
* Tucson***Yes***$25,000***1899 Oct. 27 (1997 Use: Museum)
* Yuma***10,000***1917-AFTER STATEHOOD (1997 Use: Library)

Hawaii (Admitted to the Union as a state: 1959 Aug. 21)
* Honolulu HI***No***$100,000***1909 Nov. 29 (1997 Use: Library)

New Mexico (Admitted to the Union as a state 1912 Jan. 6)
* Las Vegas***$10,000***1902 (1997 Use: Library)
* Raton***12,000***1911 (1970: Building razed)
* Roswell***10,000***1903 (1997 Use: Offices)

States and Territories Which Received No Carnegie Library

Alaska - Territory during entire Carnegie Library Program, which ended in 1919 (Admitted to the Union as a state: 1959 Jan. 3)

Delaware [Geographically, second-smallest state in the Union (includes three counties)]

Rhode Island [Geographically, smallest state in the Union]