GREEN BAY—In the late 1800s/early 1900s many entered worlds previously not within their reach when philanthropist Andrew Carnegie created grants to build community libraries.
“Between 1886 and 1919, Carnegie’s donations of more than $40 million paid for 1,679 new library buildings in communities large and small across America. Many still serve as civic centers, continuing in their original roles or fulfilling new ones as museums, offices or restaurants,” the National Park Service said.
“The patron of these libraries stands out in the history of philanthropy. Carnegie was exceptional in part because of the scale of his contributions. He gave away $350 million, nearly 90 percent of the fortune he accumulated through the railroad and steel industries.”
Among the communities benefitting from Carnegie’s philanthropy was the city of Green Bay — his first grant made in Wisconsin.
On Feb. 13, 1901, Carnegie offered the city $20,000 for a library building if the city would furnish a site and provide yearly support of about $2,500.
One city lot was donated by Green Bay Bishop Sebastian G. Messmer and a second lot purchased by the city.
“Green Bay is in great need of a public library building. The present quarters of the library are small and poorly adapted for the purpose. It is true the library has done excellent service for the city in its present home, but it has long been a settle conviction that a building devoted exclusively to library purposes is an imperative necessity,” a February 1901 Press-Gazette article stated.
“In 1898, the Women’s Club of Green Bay sent out a number of traveling libraries through the county, the books being donated by interested persons. The headquarters were at the Kellogg Library, but at the end of two years, no new books having been donated, the plan was discontinued,” Deborah Martin, stated in the History of Brown County Wisconsin – Past and Present.
As the new building was completed, workers began moving the city’s books from the smaller Kellogg library to the new Carnegie building in early February 1903, finding that their entire inventory, which included reference books stored at the Business College, would not fit on the shelving provided.
The book cases from the old library were then brought in to fill the needed space.
While still dealing with the space needs and other issues, the library set an opening day of Feb. 16, 1903.
“The heating and lighting of the building are not what is desired. The difficulties experienced in the heating some time ago still exist. The power furnished by the Light and Power Company is said to be insufficient to light the building and the matter will be taken up with the company immediately,” the Press-Gazette said the week prior.
On Aug. 1, 1913, ground was broken on an addition that would double the size of the library, creating one of the “most imposing” public buildings in the city.
The addition would include a new children’s room, a new librarian’s room and increased room throughout all departments.
The library interior was also remodeled during the new construction.
The funding for the addition and remodeling was provided by Carnegie again, with a contingency that the city provide $6,500 in yearly funding this time.
“The city council gave the board permission to sell the house on the lot adjoining the library to the highest bidder,” the Green Bay Semi-Weekly Gazette stated.
By March 16, 1921, the library was home to 37,000 volumes — a large portion of them reference in nature — as it worked to keep pace with a growing city, with the city’s appropriation growing to $12,000.
By 1925, library revenues sat around $18,000, which was found inadequate for its time by American Library Association standards, which suggested $1 per capita.
“On a population estimate of 35,000, the sums provided for the Kellogg Public Library have been slightly less than 50 cents per capita, not half as much as the American Library Association considers a minimum basis,” a Press-Gazette article stated.
By 1926, the library offered 180,210 books.
That year, an east wing was added in conjunction with the construction of the Neville Museum facility.
The $50,000 project created a join library-museum facility on the property at Doty and Jefferson streets.
By 1935, the library was circulating 373,716 books, in the library system, and by 1941, that number was 491,236.
In June 1966, the Brown County Board of Supervisors endorses the concept of a county library system and in 1968, the De Pere and Green Bay library services merged to form the Brown County Library.
In 1974, the central branch of the Brown County Library system moved from the Carnegie building to its current location on Pine Street in downtown Green Bay.
The site was renovated into a private facility called Jefferson Court, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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