West Somerville Branch Library
Encyclopedia
The West Somerville Branch Library is a historic library at 40 College Avenue in Somerville, Massachusetts
, just outside of Davis Square
.
The library was built in 1906, opened in May 1909, and was added to the National Historic Register in 1989. It was the first branch library in Somerville. The original funds for building the library were a gift of $25,000 from Andrew Carnegie
, the steel baron and philanthropist. The Boston architectural firm of McLean and Wright designed the building in a neoclassical
style derived from the Beaux-Arts architecture of the day. It is currently part of the Minuteman Library Network
system.
Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
, just outside of Davis Square
Davis Square
Davis Square is a major intersection in the northwestern section of Somerville, Massachusetts where several streets meet: Holland Street, Dover Street, Day Street, Elm Street, Highland Avenue, and College Avenue.- Location :...
.
The library was built in 1906, opened in May 1909, and was added to the National Historic Register in 1989. It was the first branch library in Somerville. The original funds for building the library were a gift of $25,000 from 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...
, the steel baron and philanthropist. The Boston architectural firm of McLean and Wright designed the building in a 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 derived from the Beaux-Arts architecture of the day. It is currently part of the Minuteman Library Network
Minuteman Library Network
The Minuteman Library Network, founded in 1984, is an organization of 41 public and academic libraries in eastern Massachusetts that share resources, patrons and services. The Network has over 1,171,000 titles and 622,000 members...
system.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Somerville, Massachusetts
- Central Library (Somerville, Massachusetts)Central Library (Somerville, Massachusetts)Central Library is a historic library building at 79 Highland Avenue in Somerville, Massachusetts. Noted library architect Edward Lippincott Tilton designed the building, and it is currently part of the Minuteman Library Network....