The St. Joseph Public Library, Carnegie Branch, 316 Massachusetts is a one story Classical Revival style building with a full, partially above ground basement.
Of the nation's 2509 libraries funded by Carnegie grants, 24 percent employ the Classical Revival style.
The St. Joseph branch library displays many of the features and attributes of the style, including Ionic columns,
hipped roof, centered pediment, and a long flight of stairs at the entry. The buff brick and cut limestone,
slate roofed building measures approximately fifty-six by fifty-six feet and is situated in the center of
Carnegie Park.
The park has had some modem recreational equipment installed, such as a bicycle rack
and temporary shelters; they are not related to the period or area of significance and are not significant in
size or scale. The library building retains substantial integrity, despite a 1966-1967 remodeling in which
the exterior was sandblasted and tuckpointed.
The basement originally contained a boiler room, restrooms, and two rooms which were used as a
smoking and club room for men and boys, who originally spent many winter evenings here around
checker boards and chess tables. Due to lack of funding and need for the space, these activities were
curtailed.
The larger meeting room is now used to house the children's section. This room contains
assorted bookcases plus four original low oak library tables and chairs that were originally in the children's
section upstairs. The ceiling in this room has been lowered by means of a suspended acoustical tile
ceiling.
The oak woodwork has been painted. The lower section of the walls have been paneled while part of the
original plaster wall between the paneling and dropped ceiling is painted. The other rooms are used for
storage, but still retain the original oak doors.
A fireproof metal door has been added near the comer.
This apparently leads to the furnace room. Entrance to the basement is by a set of 16 wooden steps
leading off the left side of the foyer
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