Macon Library
Macon Library
History
Macon Library was the eleventh Carnegie library, libraries built with a donation from businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, to be constructed in Brooklyn, New York, as part of the Brooklyn Public Library.[1] Costing $93,481 ($71,481 for the building and its furnishings plus an additional $22,000 for the site), the library was designed by Richard A. Walker of Walker & Morris and built in 1907 on a corner lot at the intersection of Macon Street and Lewis Avenue.[1][2] The library's construction was conducted by Daniel Ryan of Manhattan. In 1906, the New York City Board of Estimate designated $10,000 for the library's collection. The branch library's opening on July 15, 1907, was attended by 2,000 visitors.[2]
Architecture and features
Macon Library stands two stories tall and is slightly raised above street level.[2] It occupies the majority of the 90-by-100-foot (27 by 30 m) lot upon which it is situated.[1] The building was designed in the Classical Revival architectural style and consists of five bays. While the library was mainly built with red brick, its front entrance is highlighted by a stone border adorned above the front door with a cartouche. The doors and windows are surrounded by an Indiana limestone trim. Macon Library is capped with a dentillated cornice, below which its windows rest, high on the building's facade.[2] The Brooklyn Daily Eagle singled out Macon as one of Brooklyn's best-lighted libraries in 1907.[1] Near the front entrance are two pillars that at one time sported lamps. The building is surrounded by an iron fence.[2]
Inside, the library is divided into two main spaces: alcoves and larger reading areas. The building's main desk is located in the center-front of the floor plan, while its stacks are located in the back, on the first and second floors. On the upper level, the original metal guardrail continues to protect patrons, and the bookcases and wood paneling that was present when Macon opened is also still used. The library's small alcoves contain wooden benches and fireplaces present when the library opened. A series of frescoes and panels with phrases such as Living Brave and Patriotic Men Are Better Than Gold and No Gain Without Pains were inlaid on the mantelpieces above the fireplaces, but the panels with their verbiages are no longer present.[1][2]
Services
References
- ^ a b c d e "Macon Branch Library Is Formally Opened". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. July 16, 1907. p. 17. Retrieved November 7, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f Dierickx, Mary B. (1996). The Architecture of Literacy: The Carnegie Libraries of New York City. New York: Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art and the New York City Department of General Services. p. 83. ISBN 1-56256-717-9.