Library History

For more information, see: The History of Libraries in Montgomery County

Brief History

Crawfordsville had enjoyed a subscription library ever since the late 1830s but possessed no public institution until the end of the 19th century when several local organizations worked to found the Crawfordsville Public Library. The Ladies Library Association was formed to obtain donations of books and magazines as well as to canvass for library funds. In June 1898, the library was opened (on the corner of Main and Water streets, the present location of the Ben Hur building) with nearly 700 books and several hundred volumes of unbound magazines. The library was later relocated to the old YMCA building (the south side of the 100 block of west Main).

In 1900, several members of the Commercial Club requested the assistance of millionaire philanthropist Andrew Carnegie of New York. In a letter to Carnegie, the Commercial Club stated:

Our public library is young, but growing vigorously, and will, in short time, outgrow the storeroom that now contains it. It was started three years ago by the voluntary action of our public spirited people, who, two years ago, turned it over to the city authorities, who now control it. Public sentiment will endorse an annual expenditure from public funds of $2,000 to $3,000 for its support.

In March 1901, the city learned that Carnegie was willing to donate $25,000 for a free public library. The city was required to furnish a site and to support the library to the extent of $2,500 annually. The Carnegie Library/Crawfordsville Public Library was thus constructed on the corner of Washington Street and Wabash Avenue (its present location); the building was made with smooth-cut ashlar stone, and its entrance was accented by unfluted ionic columns (a style common among Carnegie libraries at that time). The library was dedicated on July 29, 1902.

The library was operated in connection with the city schools until 1921 when a separate board was created. Between 1920 and 1940, the library doubled its number of volumes and its borrowers despite small increases in income and staff:

In 1942, the furnaces that had been installed in 1904 were finally replaced. In addition, the library publicized its wish list for improvements:

• A children's room separate from the adult reading room.
• New entrance steps. The old ones are dangerous as well an unsightly.
• Always more books. They wear out -- 1,691 of them in 1940.
• Floor covering. More space. The basement is full to overflowing with reference volumes and periodical files.
• Crawfordsville ranked 33rd in population in 1940, but 12th in circulation in the state. We must have an increased plant to keep that good record.

The library has since been remodeled three times. In 1960, the ceilings were lowered. The front stairway was removed in 1969-70 in order to create a ground floor entrance. Finally, in 1976, an adjacent building was purchased, and a remodeling project led to the expansion of the library that was completed in 1979. The renovation created space for a Library Display Gallery, a Children's Room, a Community Room, and storage. The Special Services Department was modernized in 1995.

The new library opened on September 19, 2005 across the street from the original Carnegie building.