Carnegie Public Library (Buffalo, Wyoming)
Encyclopedia
The Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum is an American West museum in Buffalo, Wyoming
, housed in a 1909 Carnegie Library
building.
was built in 1909 adjacent to the Johnson County Courthouse
in the Neoclassical
style. Andrew Carnegie
provided $12,500 to build a library in Buffalo, contingent upon the provision of a site and $1250 a year for maintenance. A portion of the county courthouse grounds was donated as the site. The building consists of a raised main floor and a large basement level. The rough-faced ashlar masonry features contrasting quoins and belt courses. The facade is arranged as a porch with two slender Norman-style columns in antis. A semicircular apse
projects from the north side of the building.
, including the Wagon Box Fight
, the Johnson County War
between ranchers in the 1890s, the siege at the TA Ranch and a view of Buffalo's Main Street in 1894. Artifacts include frontier and military weapons, wagons, Native American artifacts, ranching gear, and household and historic items. The grounds include a two-room furnished log cabin.
The Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums
.
Buffalo, Wyoming
Buffalo is a city in Johnson County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 3,900 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Johnson County...
, housed in a 1909 Carnegie Library
Carnegie Library
Carnegie Library, Carnegie Public Library, Carnegie Free Library, Carnegie Free Public Library, Andrew Carnegie Library, Andrew Carnegie Free Library or Carnegie Library Building may refer to any of the following Carnegie libraries:- California :*Carnegie Library , listed on the National Register...
building.
Building history
The Carnegie Public Library in Buffalo, WyomingBuffalo, Wyoming
Buffalo is a city in Johnson County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 3,900 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Johnson County...
was built in 1909 adjacent to the Johnson County Courthouse
Johnson County Courthouse (Wyoming)
The Johnson County Courthouse in Buffalo, Wyoming was built in 1884. The Italianate style building adjoins the former Johnson County Library, which is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-External links:...
in the Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style. Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
provided $12,500 to build a library in Buffalo, contingent upon the provision of a site and $1250 a year for maintenance. A portion of the county courthouse grounds was donated as the site. The building consists of a raised main floor and a large basement level. The rough-faced ashlar masonry features contrasting quoins and belt courses. The facade is arranged as a porch with two slender Norman-style columns in antis. A semicircular apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
projects from the north side of the building.
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum
In the late 1980s the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum acquired and moved into the library. The original museum was founded 1957 and focuses on Johnson County and frontier history. The museum's dioramas feature historic events and life along the Bozeman TrailBozeman Trail
The Bozeman Trail was an overland route connecting the gold rush territory of Montana to the Oregon Trail. Its most important period was from 1863-1868. The flow of pioneers and settlers through territory of American Indians provoked their resentment and caused attacks. The U.S. Army undertook...
, including the Wagon Box Fight
Wagon Box Fight
The Wagon Box Fight was an engagement on August 2, 1867, during Red Cloud's War between the U.S. Army and Lakota Native Americans in the vicinity of Fort Phil Kearny, Wyoming.-Background:...
, the Johnson County War
Johnson County War
The Johnson County War, also known as the War on Powder River, was a range war which took place in April 1892 in Johnson County, Natrona County and Converse County in the U.S. state of Wyoming...
between ranchers in the 1890s, the siege at the TA Ranch and a view of Buffalo's Main Street in 1894. Artifacts include frontier and military weapons, wagons, Native American artifacts, ranching gear, and household and historic items. The grounds include a two-room furnished log cabin.
The Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums
American Association of Museums
The American Association of Museums is a non-profit association that has brought museums together since its founding in 1906, helping develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and advocating on issues of concern to the museum community...
.
External links
- Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - official site
- Images of the Carnegie Library at the NPS Focus site
- Carnegie Public Library at the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office