Carnegie Free Library of Allegheny
Main Reading Room of the Carnegie Library, Allegheny City (now Pittsburgh)
by Paul J. Pelz,
ca. 1900
Location:
6 Allegheny Square E, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Description:
The Carnegie Free Library of Allegheny, situated in the Allegheny Center neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, holds a significant historical distinction. Commissioned in 1886, it stands as the first Carnegie library to be commissioned in the United States. Donated to the public by entrepreneur Andrew Carnegie, its construction spanned from 1886 to 1890, based on a design by John L. Smithmeyer and Paul J. Pelz.
Constructed with red and grey granite sourced from Maine, the library and musical conservatory were crafted under the oversight of the Bodwell Granite Company of Vinalhaven, Maine, renowned for its contributions to major public works projects like the State, War and Navy Department building in Washington, DC, now known as the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
Though its completion awaited until 1890, the library holds the distinction of being the second Carnegie library to open, preceded only by the Carnegie Free Library of Braddock, established for steelworkers in Braddock, situated 9 miles upstream from Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River. Notably, the Allegheny library also boasts the first Carnegie Music Hall in the United States, with the Music Hall at the Braddock Library not opening until an expansion in 1893.
Unlike the Carnegie Library in Braddock, which benefited from an endowment from Carnegie himself, the running costs of the Allegheny library were sustained through local taxes. However, following a lightning strike in the mid-2000s, the library relocated to a new building a few blocks north on Federal Street. Subsequently, the New Hazlett Theater became the primary occupant of the original structure. In April 2019, the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh launched Museum Lab, a makerspace geared toward youth aged 10 and older, further enriching the cultural landscape of the area.
Recognized for its historical significance, the library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
