When Andrew Carnegie
dedicated the Braddock Library in 1889, he intended it primarily for the benefit
of his employees of his first major steel mill, the Edgar Thomson Works, and
their families. The Music Hall,
Pool, and Gymnasium were added in 1893.
At a time when few homes had indoor plumbing and a bath was a rarity,
this was the place where employees could come to shower or bathe, take a swim,
enjoy a book, play billiards, and get a haircut!
For more than three quarters
of a century, the Braddock Library served as an educational and recreational
center for Braddock area residents.
In 1961 Braddock School District took over operations of the
Library. Then, as sub-urbanization
changed working and living patterns in the 1960s and 1970s, the Library’s use
declined, and it was closed and abandoned in 1974, after having been placed on
the National Register of Historic Places the previous
year.
In 1979, David Solomon, the
last head librarian, formed the Braddock’s Field Historical Society to rescue
the Library from demolition. The
building was purchased from the Braddock School District for $1.00 and
volunteers set to work. Foundations
and other contributed joined in the effort to rehabilitate and reopen the
building. In 1982, the children’s
library opened on Saturdays – heated with kerosene in the winter. The David Solomon Reading Room was next
to open in 1986. The first floor
restoration was completed in 1989.
By 1990 the Charles Van Williams Reading Room, Rotary Reading Room,
circulation areas, and offices were completed. Although the Music Hall is still
undergoing renovations, it was open for use in 2004.
In 1996 Braddock Library was
recognized as a regional asset and began to obtain resources and funding as a
public library. Now a member of
Allegheny County Library Association and the eiNetwork, Braddock Library
provides books, audio materials, video materials, magazines, and newspapers;
computers with Internet access; and programs for people of all
ages.
© 2004 Braddock's Field Historical
Society/Braddock Carnegie Library
Last updated Sept. 22, 2004