The following has been submitted by the Logan County History Center:
By: Mary E. Mortimer and Beth Marshall
The Bellefontaine Carnegie Free Library was built in 1903 at the corner of N. Main St. and E. Sandusky Ave. Before the Carnegie Library was built, Bellefontaine had a circulating library as early as 1871 that was started and maintained by Miss Lida Canby. Members paid $3 per year and were entitled to take out one book per week. Non-members could pay ten cents per book and borrow one per week. It was on the second floor of Melodeon Hall on Main Street.
Rebecca Brown was the wife of Benjamin S. Brown, one of the early physicians and surveyors in Logan County. After Mr. Brown died in 1873, Mrs. Brown donated land on E. Sandusky Ave. for Brown Park. Her dream was to have a new library and “Museum of Natural Curiosities” built there featuring her numerous books and her husband’s collection of shells and other curiosities. She also promised $3,000 to the city for a town library to be named “The Brown Library”. In 1874, the Circulating Library was incorporated as the Brown Library Association of Bellefontaine.
In 1878, The Brown Library was moved from Melodeon Hall to the second floor of the People’s Bank building in the Riddle & Rutan Block. The library reported in May of 1880 that they had “over 1,500 volumes of well selected reading matter, which is a good nucleus for a fine library.” By September of the same year, they had 2,000 volumes. Life memberships were sold for $30.00, payable in six annual installments of $5.00 each. To help support the Library, Miss Canby started a lecture series and held various entertainments.
Rebecca Brown passed away in 1887. In her will she bequeathed her home at the corner of N. Main St. and E. Sandusky Ave. to the Bellefontaine Methodist Church to be used as their parsonage.
Around 1894, a group of earnest citizens, many of whom belonged to the Woman’s Club, began campaigning for a free public library. In May of 1901, the Board of Managers of the Bellefontaine Free Public Library was formed. The new library was opened in the H.H. Good Building next to Memorial Hall with Miss Mary Reagh as Librarian. Miss Canby donated a number of her books to the library.
The Library Board sent a letter to philanthropist Andrew Carnegie requesting financial assistance to build a new library. In December 1902, a response letter was received from Andrew Carnegie offering $12,000 for the construction and furnishing of a new library building providing the Board could raise ten percent of the amount of the grant to maintain the library.
In April of 1903, The Library Board of Managers tendered control of the Library to the Bellefontaine School Board. The Commercial Club assumed the outstanding debts and it was accepted. The first duty of the School Board was to select a Librarian. Miss Laura Morgan was chosen and paid $20.00 per month. She served until her death in 1938. To help fund the new library, a tax levy of .5 of a mil was carried with a school levy and was to continue until 1937. The revenue amounted to around $1,400 per year to operate the library, and met the ten percent established by Andrew Carnegie.
At the July 1903 Library Board meeting, William Kauffman, a Bellefontaine native who had become a successful architect in Pittsburgh, donated a plan for the new Carnegie Library. The Buckeye Churn Co. from Sidney was hired to build the library.
The lots at the corner of N. Main St. and E. Sandusky Ave. including the former home site of Rebecca Brown were cleared for the new library construction. While work had begun on the new library building, the library was moved into two rooms on the first floor of the telephone exchange, next to the Presbyterian Church.
The Carnegie Free Library was completed and opened to the public on June 21, 1905. The total cost of construction was $12,707.26 Carnegie increased his donation from $12,000 to $14,000 to help pay for any additional expenses and to help with maintenance.
Over the next thirty years the library had periods of closure due to lack of funds. In 1937, the State code was revised, and libraries became eligible for State Aid from the intangible tax. The library received about $13,000 per year from this source which was apportioned by the County Budget Commission composed of the County Auditor, Treasurer, and Prosecuting Attorney.
In 1939, branch libraries were opened in DeGraff, West Liberty and West Mansfield. The library was under the jurisdiction of the Bellefontaine Board of Education, who appointed Library Trustees, until 1948. At that time, the library officially became the Logan County District Library and library trustees were then appointed by the Common Pleas Judge and County Commissioners for a term of seven years. The library had over 15,000 volumes at that time.
Branch libraries were opened in Rushsylvania in 1949 and East Liberty in 1952. Branch libraries became very popular and demand for books increased. In 1954, a station wagon was purchased for delivery of books to and from the branches. Circulation topped 100,000 for the first time.
In 1957, the Lakeview branch was opened, and in 1959 a bookmobile was purchased through a grant from the Ohio State Library and services were offered countywide. The bookmobile was in service until 1975. Also in 1959, the Library Board of Trustees accepted Trusteeship of the Susie Parker Scholarship Memorial Fund. The Susie Parker Scholarship is still awarded each year to a Bellefontaine High School graduate with a 3.0 GPA or higher that is enrolled in an Ohio accredited four-year college.
A new 4,663 square foot addition to the east side of library was completed in 1979. By 1991, the library realized expansion was once again needed. Property at 220 N. Main St. was purchased for a new larger library. Mr. Austin E. Knowlton donated $400,000 in memory of his parents to the Logan County District Library Foundation to help construct the new main library. In November 1994, the library moved into its new 17,500 square foot facility and the main library building was named The Knowlton Library. In 2002, the library purchased the Dean & Barry Paint Store north of the library for additional space. The name was officially changed to the Logan County Libraries in 2009.
Lida Canby and the early library organizers would be pleased to see how much the Logan County Libraries have helped the community and been enjoyed.
For more information on the Logan County District Library visit their website at logancountylibraries.org/ or their Facebook page at Logan County Libraries.
Visit the Logan County History Center to learn more interesting aspects of Logan County history. The History Center is open for tours Wednesday – Sunday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Admission is free.
