Dickinson Area Public Library (Carnegie Library)

Planning for the Free Library began in 1908 when the Dickinson Library Association requested a $15,000 gift from Andrew Carnegie, which later was reduced to $12,500. The library opened for circulation on New Year’s Day, 1910. A substantial WPA-funded west wing was added in 1938, and in 1975 the library gained a modernist-inspired east wing. In 2006, an addition to the south of the original building addressed the challenge of responding to the design of the 1908 building with its classical portico and pediment, and unifying the previous additions. The addition is clearly modern but it references the earlier building in the classically influenced broad, curved portico carried on Tuscan-inspired columns. The library is now served by two public entrances. The historic building’s doors and leaded-glass transom window are retained at the north entrance, and stained glass windows and a glass birdcage elevator unify the historic appeal of the new wing. Woodwork details and pressed-metal ceilings reflect the original building. A landscaped entrance plaza incorporates brick pavers, cast-stone benches, and plantings.